Where There's Smoke
by happyisahabit
Summary: "Shut up and hit me with fire." "Excuse me!" Bakugou turns back and stares Ochako dead in the eye, tilting his axe toward her again. "You heard me, dollface: Hit me. With Fire." The blade seems to glow at the prospect of more flames & while she bites her lip until it bleeds at the nickname, she lets the book fall flat into her palm, the fire wall rising around them. Fire Emblem AU
1. Act 1 Kindle

**Act 1. Kindle**

 **Scene 1. Through Chance**

Araphen was by no means small, second in size only to the territory of Ostia. At the heart of it was a city almost as bustling as the trade route through Thria, but with a more rustic feel. The milling people and constant cacophony of the streets suited Ochako just fine. Walking down the main drag, she weighs her coin purse, pondering the pros and cons of dipping into her reserves. Her Elfire tome had certainly seen better days so purchasing a plain old Fire tome could help stretch its use. On the other hand, one never knew when one would need a vulnerary or antitoxin to patch themselves up.

She could do magic plenty, but healing was not something in her arsenal.

The apothecary looms and Ochako makes her decision. No use having extra weapons if you aren't around to use them.

A small bell dings overhead as she walks in. The redheaded shop keep calls out a greeting as Ochako rifles through the various potions and supplies available, immediately skipping over the staves. Supposedly, those with the ability to heal could feel a warmth in their hands, a certain tingle, but she had only ever felt cool wood.

"Looking for something in particular?"

"Huh? Oh, not really. Just some vulneraries and maybe an elixir."

The woman grins and leans over the counter. "We're having a special on vulneraries right now; buy two and get one half off!"

The mage's eyes narrow. "Not much of a deal if you ask me."

"Good thing I didn't, dear." The woman watches as Ochako pulls a few vulneraries out of the crate they're stacked in, the small flasks clacking together. The young girl is clearly doing some math in her head and the vendor grins when she puts down the third only to pick it back up again. She makes it a step before she turns back around and puts down two, frowning.

"Just the one?"

Ochako's mouth twists, weighing her purse again. She probably needed to save for a new tome.

"Alright, then. That'll be 300 gold." Ochako pulls out three small pressed coins and pushes them across the counter. "You know, if you need some cash, may I suggest gambling?"

Her head snaps up. "Why would I gamble if I don't have money?"

"Well, you seem like a smart girl. Perhaps you could make some money betting on the arena in town?" The shopkeeper's eyes drift down to where Ochako slips the flask into a bag on her hip under her faded blue cloak. She catches a small glance of a book, red, worn and scorched on the edges. "Or maybe you could bet on yourself? I'm sure that your competition wouldn't put up much… resistance."

Ochako's eyebrow raises. "Thanks for the tip, uh…?"

"Anna, and no problem. Tell that name to the bookstore down the street and you can get yourself a new… electrifying read."

"Thanks, Anna, I'll remember that," Ochako laughs. "But I prefer something with some heat, you know?"

She walks out of the shop and Anna calls out after her, "Who should I be putting my wagers on this week?"

Ochako turns, halfway out onto the street, grinning. "Uraraka."

WHERE THERE'S SMOKE - KINDLE

He'd barely crossed into Araphen when these fuckers had shown up.

Honestly, was it too much to ask to be left the hell alone? Why did every vagrant and vagabond want to pick a fight with him? And why on Elibe were there so _many?_

The bandits had boxed him in quickly and, fatigued from days of travel with little food and water, Katsuki was getting his ass kicked. His hand axe had seen better days and the advantage of throwing it to strike from a distance was not useful in a situation where his assailants were already upon him. The burden of the blade strapped to his back is heavy and while his hand itches to pull the familiar weight out, he ignores it.

Using a fire-imbued axe would draw some attention he doesn't need, even if these bandits look dumber than the rocks his face is being pushed into. The group strips him of his hand axe, shoes, jacket, shirt, and money, ripping the cloth he'd been using to hide messy blonde hair away for good measure. Everything on him aches as the bandits squabble over who gets what. It's only a small sick satisfaction when one has the bad idea to try and pick up the untouched axe, letting out an undignified yelp.

The handle burns their hands and they lose interest after trying to lift it wrapped in cloth, effectively catching it on fire. Katsuki spits out blood and grins at them, only to get a swift kick in the gut and a smoldering bandana thrown in his face.

He waits until the vagrants are gone, listening to the sounds of the forest when their noisy steps are gone and mentally cataloguing all his injuries. He curls up into a seated position and glares at the axe lying next to him.

The blade just shines at him, glinting in the little light that filters through the canopy. The metal is hued golden, etchings into the handle delicately painted red. It isn't an obscenely large axe, only a bit larger than one used to chop lumber. Katsuki scratches the back of his head, wincing when he finds a lump from the one-sided fight.

With no other choice, he reaches out, pulling the weapon closer and using it to help himself stand. He limps into the largest city in Araphen, the handle of his axe, Hauza, a familiar warmth in his palm.

WHERE THERE'S SMOKE – KINDLE

"Hey, Eiji, does this place look good?"

A redhead in a black shirt and brown pants, Eijirou, turns, shifting the large pack on his back. The girl ahead of him points at the food stand, steam and good smells wafting from it. He can feel his mouth watering.

"Definitely, Tsu."

Tsu, or Tsuyu, smiles lightly, turning to the small stand. A man gets up and bumps into her as he leaves. He pushes past without apologizing and Eijirou turns to say something, but Tsuyu grabs his wrist and shakes her head. He sighs heavily as the cook turns around to greet them. The portly man looks genial until he sees the empty spot the rude man had just vacated.

"Damnable cur, ducking out without paying… Urgh. How can I help you two?"

The food is great and Eijirou looks in concern at the spot the cook had cleared next to them, where an empty bowl and no money had been left.

"Eiji, don't worry about it."

"How can I not? It isn't-" a jingling noise sounds from his other side where Tsuyu is. He turns to see her shaking a small coin purse that most decidedly isn't theirs. "-right. …You didn't."

"I did. The cook doesn't deserve to get stiffed by a jerk like that."

"Well, yeah, but Tsuyu you can't just…"

"Take money from someone who has the means but not the decency to pay?"

He pinches the bridge of his nose as Tsuyu counts out the coins. She leaves enough gold to cover their own meals and the rude man's as well as a large tip. Eijirou decides this is another one of those times where he just has to let Tsuyu do her thing. He looks away as she pockets the rest. At least her sticky fingers had morals.

"C'mon, we've got to grab something for Kouka, just in case she didn't find something to hunt in the forest."

Tsuyu hops up from her stool, waving politely at the cook who looks like he might cry from gratitude. As they step out onto the street again, Tsuyu tugs on the strap of his bag.

"Hey, look at that guy… he doesn't seem well," she says, voice tinged with mild concern. And she's right. The boy she sees in the distance looks ragged and beat up, without shoes or shirt. His light hair is dirty and matted with some blood and his wounds look fresh. Behind him, he drags a large axe.

Eijirou's eyes flick up the street to see that the guy seems headed to the apothecary. He seems to at least have his priorities in order, so Eijirou sees no need to interfere with a guy who looks like he can cause some serious trouble. Even as he steers Tsuyu away, he keeps one eye on the axe-wielder out of caution.

WHERE THERE'S SMOKE – KINDLE

Ochako is grinning as she leaves the apothecary, hip pouch one vulnerary heavier. She checks again to make sure she's got everything, walking without paying mind to anything around her. If she hurries, she can make it to the last arena fight of the day and determine a betting strategy for tomorrow. Then she could get as many vulneraries as she needed!

Her thoughts are cut off when she slams into another body, crashing to the ground. The vulnerary clatters out of her bag, thick glass preventing it from breaking. "Ugh, I'm sorry, I wasn't looking where I was… going." Ochako looks up from the ground to the dirty bare feet in front of her. There's mud and what may be blood crusted between the toes and she flinches away from the unexpected sight. She stands quickly, taking in the appearance of the boy before her.

"You damn well better be sorry! Watch where you're going, you stupid girl," an angry mouth forms on an equally angry face. A large bruise is darkening the side of the boy's face, hidden just barely by dirty blond hair. A quick scan while he continues to yell reveals he has cuts and bruises all over his arms and chest which are inexplicably unclothed.

The next thing she notices is the hand clutched around a long-stemmed axe. He's still yelling, so Ochako shoves her lone vulnerary out at him. Maybe he'll shut up and let her live if she gives him something to heal himself up?

"I don't need your damn handouts!" The vulnerary hits the ground again, rolling to a stop a foot away. Her hand stings a little and she clenches it into a fist. Enough of this.

"Oh, so you don't have tons of internal and external bleeding? Excuse me, then," she spits, glaring. She storms off, completely ready to be away from this frustrating boy that can't accept a stupid vulnerary. Her brain is so hazed with rage that she barely registers that she is now out a vulnerary (her only healing potion!) having left it behind when it was smacked out of her hand. She arrives at the arena, still fuming, only to find out she's missed the last fight. Nothing was going right today.

Katsuki watches the stupid girl stomp away, towards the arena. The torches had been lit there before, but without money, he hadn't been able to go inside. The man working admission had given him information about the next tournament, to be held in a few days. If he was going to earn some money back from what he'd had stolen, he would have to find a job, maybe even enter this tournament.

He looks down at Hauza. Somehow he feels it's a big joke that he's been avoiding using it for so long, only to be forced to use the magic blade now. How far had he fallen? The dropped vulnerary catches his eye and he grumbles as he snatches it up.

If he was going to fight for money, for food, he needed to not be in pain whenever he stretched too far. So Katsuki sits in the alleyway around the side of the arena, watching the fighters from the night leave, gauging their strength from afar as he pastes the salve over his more painful injuries and the open wounds. Hauza's warmth keeps the night chill away.

WHERE THERE'S SMOKE – KINDLE

For the next few days, Ochako scouts out the arena, making small bets to keep her purse from being depleted by the inn's fees. She's replenished her vulnerary stock, eventually taking Anna up on her 'deal' and getting a backup fire tome. After some deliberation, she feels she has enough information on the pool of competition to enter the tournament starting tomorrow. All she has to do is not get hit by the large brutes.

She was fairly fast and they seemed to not have many mages come through the arena gates. She doubted any of the entrants would have much magical resistance, leading to an easy victory for her and a pretty purse. Then all she had to do was get out of dodge.

"Oh, excuse me!" she says, twisting to avoid bumping into a girl a little shorter than her. She had pretty long hair, dark green and tied in an elaborate knot. The girl's wide eyes stared up at her and she let out an apology, tipping her head in acknowledgement before blending back in with the crowd milling in the street.

Tsuyu walks away, unfolding the parchment that had slipped from the other girl's cloak. She had seemed nice and cute, short brown hair and soft brown eyes. Tsuyu was taking a break from helping Eijirou at the nearby orphanage to get some supplies and listen to town gossip. A huge tournament was coming up and she was certain that Eijirou would want to take part in it. The trouble would be getting him to put up with only being in the audience.

He certainly couldn't bring Kouka into an arena. Not when they were this close to Bern.

It had only been a few months since they'd left their home territory on the back of a wyvern. Scouts had been sent out after them, hoping to recover the flying reptile, one of the few left that wasn't in the employ of the Bern army. Kouka had formed a bond with Eijirou, a young recruit in the winged division. She couldn't handle being near any of the other recruits, eventually killing one. When the army ordered Kouka's execution, Eijirou had defected and Tsuyu had helped him get the female wyvern out of confinement.

Now they were both wanted by the Bern armed forces.

Eavesdropping was a talent she'd gotten much better at since she'd started listening for scraps of news after their departure. The more she heard, the easier it was to distill how close they were to finding the three of them or if they were even still looking. So far, they'd been lucky, but her ears had not picked up any news that the search had ceased. Today's chatter, though, wasn't related to them at all.

"Tsuyu, where did you go? It couldn't have taken that long to grab something to eat," Eijirou says, jogging up to her as they meet outside the inn. They head up to their room together, Tsuyu handing the container of food she'd gotten from the innkeeper to him. "You were listening again, weren't you?"

"I have to find out if anyone knows Kouka is here or not, Eijirou. You know that."

He sighs and flops on the bed in their meager room. "Yeah, but I don't have to like that you have to do it. What if you get caught?"

"Then I wasn't doing it right."

"How can you be so cavalier about it?!"

"It doesn't matter right now. I didn't hear anything about us or Kouka today." She chews on her lip, weighing whether to bring up the stuff she _had_ heard. His trust in her and their lifelong friendship pushes her to reveal it. "But I did hear something else. Something about… 'gathering energy,' some kind of bounty from Etruria maybe? And… well, and the Black Fang."

"Stuff about Etruria? All the way out here? And hasn't the Black Fang been defunct for almost a century?"

WHERE THERE'S SMOKE – KINDLE

Katsuki stretches as he scans the small armory he's been working at. The blacksmith who owned the place was short-handed and promised him clothes and a small stipend to help out with some manual labor. The shirt he'd gotten wasn't quite the right size, but it was better than nothing. The shoes were really the most important purchase as was the hand axe he'd been eyeing since starting work. When he wasn't doing errands and chores for the old man, he was sizing up the competition at the arena, the tournament prize still on his mind. He could have entered some of the daily brawls, but he didn't see much point in wasting his energy when there was a bigger prize to be won. Any remaining time was spent conditioning himself and making sure his injuries from being mugged weren't going to bite him in the ass.

The shop bell rings and a young man with shockingly red hair walks in. He is in a pair of sturdy boots and while his clothes appear to be fairly commonplace, Katsuki recognizes the armor. Even if it's been painted over with black and silver, it is definitely armor from Bern. He tenses; no one in Bern should care about him, but he really didn't want to draw attention to himself from _any_ realm. He only doesn't say or do anything because of the dye-job; the guy probably wasn't working for Bern, with armor discolored purposefully like that. It was just too risky to tell.

The guy turns and his face lights up, seeing Katsuki behind the shop counter.

"Hey, I saw you around town a few days ago; you look much better now!"

"What?"

"You looked kinda like shit, but you seem to have found some work and got cleaned up. Good for you!"

"Mind your own damn business."

"Well, okay, then… I'm looking for some tethers and a lancehead. Do you have those?" The redhead looks a little down at his rebuke, but Katsuki just doesn't care. He lifts his hand and points at the corner of the shop. In a minute, the redhead is back, equipment in hand. "I'm Eijirou, by the way."

"I don't care. 750 gold."

WHERE THERE'S SMOKE – KINDLE

* * *

 **Scene 2. Ring of Fire**

The first day of the tournament arrives and Ochako looks around at the many men in the waiting area under the arena's stands. Most of them are the type of guys she wouldn't want to meet in broad daylight, much less a dark alley. She catches a glimpse of the boy that yelled at her outside the apothecary and rolls her eyes. He probably ended up using her vulnerary by the look of him. And found a job.

Slowly, their names are read off by the organizer, dividing them into pools. Today's event was a 'last one standing' melee. Her fingers curl around her tome as the man calls out 'Uraraka! Group D!' and the others in her pool look at her as she steps towards them. The leers are gross and she can't wait to burn their eyes out of their skulls. She ignores them, best she can as the rest of the groups are called out.

"Bakugou, C!"

The blond boy from before steps forward, looking cool and collected. The orange hued axe he had is strapped to his back, crossed with a hand axe. The organizer calls a few more names before the first group goes through.

It's barely been a half hour until one man comes back in, looking unscathed and grinning cockily. He's huge and Ochako looks at him from behind her book. The man presses his forearm against a very similar looking guy on his way out for the next brawl in some sort of manly handshake. They were probably the brothers she had heard about that only came out for the big tournaments. Supposedly, one or the other always won.

As she expected, another thirty minutes go by only for the brother to swagger in, looking no worse for wear if it wasn't for the sweat and dust and the blood he wipes off his blade. The third group is filtering out of the room, and Ochako watches the blond boy stretch and crack his knuckles before disappearing through the archway.

Fifteen minutes later, a hulking shadow falls over her and she looks up to see one of the brothers hovering in her space.

"And what's a fine looking lass like yourself doing down here?"

Ochako weighs whether or not she should pretend to be mute, but she'll have to speak to use her spells anyway, so she sighs. "Same as you, here to win a tournament."

The man stares at her before laughing loud and long. "Oh, I like you, spitfire. You've got the face of an angel, but I fear it won't last long here. Sure you don't want to just come home with me? I'm gonna win after all and I'll treat you… the way you deserve."

Ochako slaps his hand away that had taken hold of a lock of her hair. "I don't think so. I believe what you think I deserve is far different from what I do. I'm gonna wipe the floor with you and your brother and I'm going to enjoy doing it."

The man's face colors purple and his teeth grind as he reaches out for her again. Ochako snaps her book shut and steps away before he can reach. "Why, you—"

"Ah-ah, better not," she taunts, as the entry to the arena opens. The blond boy walks through, pants splattered with blood and wiping sweat from his forehead. He looks tired, but grins to himself in his victory. "Time for me to go."

"I'll get you before this tournament is over, girlie. You just wait, you'll be begging for me-"

"For you to stop talking to me? I'm already doing that." She steps towards the arena arch, passing through it before the man can make more of a scene.

The arena floor is oval and littered with rocks and broken weapons. The organizer spreads the contestants out and explains the rules, of which there is just one: Be the last one standing.

Ochako squares her shoulders.

WHERE THERE'S SMOKE – KINDLE

"Oh man, I wish I had entered; that guy from the armory was so cool!" Eijirou squirms in his seat while Tsuyu just smiles lightly at his enthusiasm. The next contestants are filtering in and spreading out, sizing up their competition. "Hey, that person looks kinda small, don't you think?"

She follows his pointing gesture and sees a smallish figure wrapped in a well-worn blue-green cloak. Her, for it's a girl, hood is down and Tsuyu's sharp eyes recognize her as the one she'd picked the tournament advertisement off of yesterday. She hadn't given off much of a fighter vibe, so Tsuyu is eager to see what would happen in this free-for-all. When a horn sounds to start the event, the girl pulls out a book. "She's a mage!"

"A mage? Wait, it's a girl? Whoa!" Eijirou's attention snaps back when a ring of fire erects itself between the girl and her competitors. The book is open flat in her palm, pages burning away as fast as her lips were moving, each cast sending a ball of flames at a competitor. It's only a couple minutes before they can start to smell the smoke from it, the cloying sweetness of unnatural fire. The bodies litter the ground around her fire ring, which was never breached. They are still moving, but with burnt hands or feet, were not much good in a fight.

And then she is the only one left standing.

"And Group D goes to… Uraraka!"

Eijirou woops as Tsuyu claps along. Quite a few people around them must have bet on the match though, because a lot of people were throwing their hats or jackets on the ground or pulling at their hair in frustration. Hopefully, this Uraraka could take care of herself outside the ring, too.

WHERE THERE'S SMOKE – KINDLE

Ochako glances at the betting ledger she had swiped from the ticketing booth before the second day of the tournament commences. Folded into the pages of her tome, she does the math in her head. On the way in, she had seen several of the entrants that had been in yesterday's A and B group looking decidedly unharmed. As if the unfatigued condition of the bulky brothers was not suspicious in its own right, the lack of true injury on their opponents is even moreso.

Clearly, the tournament is rigged in favor of the Brothers Brawny.

The four of them are in the waiting area beneath the stands, listening to the rumble of footsteps and cheering outside. The brothers sit together, sharpening their blades and talking amongst themselves. The one that had accosted her yesterday looks up and grins, licking his lips. Ochako shudders in revulsion and breaks eye contact. Her gaze lands on Bakugou, who is stretching in the corner.

She has to warn him that the game is rigged. "Bakugou and Marius!"

The older of the two stands and saunters out to the roaring crowd. Bakugou shakes out the arm he was stretching and follows. As he passes, Ochako snags his shirt only to have her wrist twisted.

"You again, eh? You'll get your turn in the ring. If you can beat the snot out of that other idiot, anyway," he hisses. "Can't say I'm holding out much hope."

Ochako grits her teeth, wrenching her hand away. "Listen, this tournament is rig-"

"Rigged?" he scoffs. "So what? I'll win anyway."

He pushes away her away, not watching when she bounces off the ground in a small cloud of dust. Katsuki hears her snap his pseudonym out as he steps into the ring, but it is dampened by the noise of the throngs. The arena attendant is explaining the rules, but he barely listens, sizing up his opponent and looking for weak points. The match begins and he is a flurry of motion. Hand axe whizzing through the air to nick his adversary's elbow.

It changes the trajectory of the brother's swing and Katsuki easily ducks under the blow, snatching up the hand axe again. He whips it as Marius turns, catching the back of his knee. Katsuki is there in an instant, boot slamming into the new injury and fist striking a kidney. The man drops his own axe, on his knees, and Katsuki kicks it away. He almost feels like the battle was too easy, but who is he to complain about quick money?

He draws Hauza and lays the edge against the man's throat. "Yield."

The brigand snarls and spits at him. Katsuki just presses harder on the golden blade. He can feel it growing warmer as the pupils of his opponent constrict with a manic fear. There is a slight hissing sound as the handle of Hauza grows warmer in his hand.

"I said…. Yield!"

Ochako watches in awe as the burly man forfeits and Bakugou is considered the winner. The fight had lasted mere minutes and the thought of facing him in the final round thrills and terrifies her simultaneously. Marius limps back into the waiting area, one hand on his neck. Some of his lackeys run up with salves, but he slaps them away, rubbing the burn mark just visible against his adam's apple.

Bakugou ignores her as he returns, but at the moment, she only has eyes for her opponent. The younger, more perverse brother stands before her, jeering as the crowd chants "Darius! Darius!" repeatedly.

"How about now, angelface?"

The referee signals to start their match.

"How about never." She whips open her tome, words crossing her lips without even looking at the page. Darius charges without delay, eager to beat her into submission. Speed, however, has always been her strong suit.

The fireball lands on his chest, the mercy of aiming for hands and feet against previous opponents denied. He gets blown back and Ochako's pettiness lets loose a wind spell, slipping beneath the next fireball. It knocks him off his feet and cuts into his arms and legs like little knives. When he hits the ground, he is still and the crowd is silent.

Ochako exhales deeply, breathing in slow. She's a teeny bit winded from the back to back spells, but feels vindication as she is declared the winner. She nearly forgets that the crowd hasn't said a word until the muttering starts when Darius is dragged back into the waiting area.

When he crosses the threshold, Katsuki only looks up from the saddlebag of water because a rather greasy looking cleric knocks into his shoulder. He barely has time to assess the fact that that little girl must have won in at least as short of a time as he did before attendants grab him by the scruff of his shirt. Luckily, Hauza and the hand axe are still strapped to his back when he is unceremoniously thrown back into the ring.

There's a large water spot on his shirt and a very unharmed little mage standing across from him. A vein twitches as the announcer speaks to the audience and his opponent looks at everywhere but him. He saw the results of fire magic on that dumb brother; he has this one in the bag.

WHERE THERE'S SMOKE – KINDLE

"By the gods, did you SEE that, Tsu?" Eijirou says, unnecessarily elbowing her in the side. "That was incredible! This fight is gonna-"

"This fight is gonna be trouble for them both," she responds. "Also, shush, look over there."

The place she points is where the referee is standing, another man whispering into his ear. After a moment, the two back away and into a hidden door in the walls of the arena. "Eiji…"

The gates to the arena entrances are lowered quietly and they both see glints of iron and steel from the spectators around them. Bakugou is charging Uraraka and Eijirou gets the picture, shooing Tsuyu away as spectators become participants, jumping into the ring and aiming right for the unsuspecting pair.

Tsuyu is already gone when he stands and whistles loudly, "Hey, look out, you two!" He clambers over the stands and stairs to get to the highest point of the arena and whistles again. "C'mon, Kouka, girl, we need ya…"

WHERE THERE'S SMOKE – KINDLE

"Hey! Idiot!" Ochako yells, dodging the hand axe whistling through the air. "Don't you see what's going on?" Bakugou shows no sign of slowing down, so Ochako grits her teeth, growling. A flick of her finger pushes the air around the hand axe, tipping it down and out of its natural return trajectory. It lands with a ching at Bakugou's feet, stopping him for only a second. His stance changes and she huffs, pushing him back with a gust of wind.

The skin over his cheekbone and on his exposed forearms split with thin cuts. His hand twitches and he pulls out the golden axe on his back. Ochako senses something different about the axe, but doesn't have time to think about what it is before he is bearing down on her. The strange axe is in one hand and he snatches the hand axe in his charge. The smaller axe gets whipped like a discus and Ochako has the presence of mind to shift the air under her feet as she jumps.

She soars backwards in a flip, pushing the hand axe to the ground with another burst of wind. Yet, Bakugou is still approaching rapidly. So she remembers the tome still in her hip pouch, yanking it out and reciting the lines to erect the fiery barrier from before. The page sizzles away and Ochako takes a second to breathe, but her breath gets stuck in her throat as the boy runs directly through the flames.

He's grinning. He is smirking and excited and NOT burning.

She realizes her error as the axe begins to glow and his red eyes sparkle with gleeful battle lust. The blade is magic and this boy is _very_ resistant to offensive magic.

"KILL 'EM BOTH!"

The yell is just jarring enough that the buttery-colored blade pauses inches from Ochako's throat. She can feel the heat of the magic weapon, uncomfortable, searing. The haze Bakugou was caught in clears bit by bit and he registers the bandits and thugs scrambling over the wall into the ring, weapons drawn and eyes on them. Ochako is tired of watching him process what she has been trying to tell him, though.

"Get- off- of me!" she pushes until he backs away, eyes still darting around the arena, calculating. While she normally would admire such focus, she can only glare at him. She refuses to rub at the still heated skin on her neck.

"Shut the fuck up and hit me with fire."

"Excuse me?!"

He turns back and stares her dead in the eye, tilting his axe toward her again. "You heard me, dollface: Hit me. With Fire."

The blade seems to glow at the prospect of more flames and while she bites her lip until it bleeds at the nickname, she lets the red book fall flat into her palm, the fire wall rising around them. The ruffians are close now and Katsuki watches as the wind magic he swears he felt earlier whistles around him and strikes back the first wave. Clearly, there was more to little miss mage than he initially thought. He grins as Hauza takes in the heat of the magical flames around them.

He dodges in and out of the flames, feeling only a bit of heat where others scald. Katsuki realizes with a start that he'd missed this, the connection between Hauza, the fire, and himself. He had not indulged in it for so long…

But between each asshole he fells, two more pop up and they're speaking, grunting between themselves. He thinks he hears 'Etrurian' and 'Burning General' and doesn't like where those lines of thinking lead. So he fixates on those first, swiping Hauza through the licks of fire every now and then. Panting, he wants to turn around when the glow of the magic behind him dims. Bodies litter the ground, but the gang keeps coming. Did he stray too far away? The light of the fire ring should be much stronger…

No, he realizes, as he turns. The ring is extinguished, a black scorched circle on the ground surrounding the girl. She's pale and her eyes are unfocused as she sways from foot to foot until her knees finally give. She's caught the eye of a nasty looking brute. He approaches her licking his lips and Katsuki's face twists as she stands, her hand pushes out and fire lights at her fingertips-

-only to immediately sputter out.

Unfortunately for this Uraraka person, a swordsman chooses that exact moment to try and slice his nose off. So Katsuki has to let the mage girl fend for herself.

WHERE THERE'S SMOKE – KINDLE

There's no warning for the three archers lining up in the top row of the arena, notching their bows. A great leathery wing brutally bashes into them from behind, sending all three careening down the stone steps, disoriented and injured. The wing stretches just so to make a tight turn, clipping ruffians on the back of the head. The full body of the wyvern flies just off the ground, gunning it for the redhead that stares directly at her.

Eijirou swings into the harness in a well-practiced maneuver, clipping his feet into the stirrups and wrapping a hand around the reins. "Alright, girl, let's find Tsuyu."

Kouka screeches a tiny bit and banks to the side. Eijirou lets her fly as she wants, knowing that Kouka can sniff out their friend faster than his eyes could search. He's thankful for the short spear he has in hand now and for thinking to keep it with Kouka, fitted into her harness. The large flying lizard dives and her wings spread like a parachute, blowing up dust around a short girl with long hair and a large bag.

"Tsuyu!"

"Eiji, Kouka!" she says, quickly lashing the suspiciously big bag to the back of the harness and slipping behind Eijirou. "Let's go."

"That bag-"

"Nevermind now, Eijirou, just go!" He huffs, but nudges Kouka a little to take off. Tsuyu taps rapidly against his arm. "Look!"

The mage girl, Uraraka, sways on her feet, archers aiming for her and some burly man charging her way. Kouka roars and Eijirou pushes her to fly faster, leaning over to the side to clothesline the archers with his spear as they fly past.

"We've got to help them!"

"Ya got that right!"

WHERE THERE'S SMOKE – KINDLE

Ochako dodges like she's had too much ale that she's snuck from the latest bar. Her opponent has deemed her weak enough to abandon his weapon for his meaty fists. He's well aware that she can't use magic anymore after her little sputtering act. She couldn't light a candle right now if she tried her hardest.

"Who am I to ruin such a cute face," he croons. "When it could sell for so much," he sneers.

He punches her in the face anyway, making her eyes see sparkles in addition to the blurriness they already had. She spins to the ground, cheek blooming eagerly with pain. Ochako manages to stay on her hands and knees, spitting out some blood from a cut on the inside of her cheek. What a gentleman, this guy.

The asshole yanks her up by the hair and squeezes her face, purposefully placing his fingers over her newly forming bruise. He leans in and Ochako can't tell if the stench is from the burned skin on her hands and around them, the general odor of an arena, or from the vile excuse for a man in front of her. She figures it must be him.

So she does the natural thing and uses her last bit of strength to spit in his face and claw at his eyes.

Across the way, Katsuki feels a bit impressed at her gall as he pulls his axe from the armor of another brigand.

"I'll kill you for that, ya bitch! Or better yet, I'll chain ya up 'n fuck ya until yer a corpse!"

Katsuki rolls his eyes and scowls. He doesn't have _time_ for this shit. Cursing, he starts to run towards the pair, ducking when a shadow zooms overhead- _was that a fucking wyvern?!_ He doesn't get to focus on that though, because the jerkwad is holding up a now clearly unconscious mage girl by her hair with one hand and reaching for the ties on his drawers with the other, the sicko.

By the time he reaches them, the girl is crumpled on the ground and the disgusting pervert's pants are loosened and his hands are reaching- _oops_. Katsuki watches as the blood splatters on the ground and on the tattered and scorched blue cloak the girl wears without a care. Hauza was capable of cutting cleanly through skin and bone and he had not hesitated.

There's yelling coming from above and, shit, it _is_ a fucking _wyvern_. The annoying guy from the armory is riding it with a strange wide-eyed girl behind him. The boy reaches out an arm, yelling again, "C'mon! We gotta get outta here!"

There are still more people to fight, circling in and picking up the weapons of their fallen friends and calling for reinforcements. He's exhausted and he's lost his hand axe again, dammit. Time to cut his losses. Katsuki ignores the pervert, standing, screaming and bleeding everywhere with his stump wrists and instead grabs the girl on the ground around the waist, hauling her over his shoulder.

He allows himself to be pulled onto the wyvern.

WHERE THERE'S SMOKE – KINDLE

* * *

 **Scene 3. Smoke Rising**

The air grows colder with altitude and the approaching night. Tsuyu shifts a bit behind Eijirou, uncomfortably cramped between him and the mage Uraraka. She glances back to see the very grumpy face of Bakugou, as he tries to both hold on to Kouka and the girl without actually touching them. She turns front, asking over the wind into Eijirou's ear: "Can Kouka make it far with this many riders?"

Eijirou tilts his head back a bit. "No, we won't get far, but we should be able to clear the town at least."

Tsuyu nods and looks back at Uraraka, who is fading in and out of consciousness. Bakugou looks distinctly uncomfortable with this since she can't keep her head up or her body straight. She slumps against the boy, head lolling back onto his shoulder no matter how many times he tries to sit her upright.

"She's probably just magically exhausted," Tsuyu yells over the wind. Bakugou's red eyes flicker up and she knows he heard her. "You should check that she isn't concussed before letting her sleep."

With that she turns back around and leaves Katsuki with an armful of semi-conscious mage girl. Huffing about being left to this task, he shifts to tap a hand against a cheek. "Hey, dollface, wake up, dammit."

He jostles her and she groans, alternating between squirming in his lap and bonelessly rolling her head along his shoulder. Katsuki _really_ doesn't want to deal with this shit, but he persists. He angles his mouth over her ear when her eyelids flicker. "What were you doing just now?"

She groans, and her mouth moves. The wind whistles too loud for him to hear, so he repeats his question and moves his ear near her lips. "...fightin' an assho'..."

His eye twitches and he resists the urge to throw her off the wyvern to the ground below. "Fuck you, too, Angelface." Katsuki swears he feels her breath shuffle across his ear and cheek like she's laughing at him. He clears his throat and stamps down the heat in his face. "What's your name?"

Now he knows she's a little delirious, because she definitely laughs. "Not Angelface, shithead."

She tries to push him away, but he just clamps his arms around her. No use in taking care of her if she falls from the wyvern's back to her death. She'd better be fucking grateful for this. "Argh, just tell me your stupid name and you can go the fuck to sleep!"

Her eyes are a dark brown in the dimming light and she blinks owlishly at him. "Okay…" her voice is getting softer, weaker. He leans back over to her mouth and catches the name, confusion filling him. "Ochako…"

He could have sworn her name was Uraraka.

WHERE THERE'S SMOKE – KINDLE

Eijirou directs Kouka to land at the abandoned outpost Tsuyu had pointed out just before the last glimmer of daylight left them. He vaguely hears her directing Bakugou to carry Uraraka inside and the grumbling that causes. Kouka doesn't have any stray arrows or other injuries in her thick hide, thankfully. He unties the large saddlebag Tsuyu had and a few other items and lets Kouka go out to hunt for herself. When he arrives at the barracks within the outpost, he is not surprised to see their dilapidated condition. Tsuyu seems to have picked the cleanest and sturdiest looking beds out of the lot and hovers over Uraraka, slicing her cloak into long strips to bandage the injuries on the girl. Her efforts seem to be focused on the other girl's hands and arms. She also wets a cloth and lays it over the mage's forehead before tucking the blankets loosely around her.

Bakugou sits on the next closest bed, spacing out for a moment before collecting himself. He yanks off his shirt and starts tearing it to help stopper his own cuts and wounds. His face is wrenched up into a grimace, and if Eijirou had to guess, he'd assume it was because Bakugou had just gotten that shirt and now had to waste it for scraps. He spots some cabinets in the back of the dorm and heads for them.

"So how are you doing? Aside from the cuts and scrapes, that is?" he tosses over his shoulder.

Bakugou's tone is just as frosty as in the blacksmith's shop. "Why'd you think I needed help?"

Eijirou hears Tsuyu sigh to herself, but decides to answer anyway. "We couldn't leave the pair of ya to get pummeled in such an unfair fight! It just wouldn't be right to let you die over winning a tournament." He digs out some tunics and shirts from the storage area, sniffing them gingerly. A little dusty, but not the worst. "Besides, I admire your technique on the field."

He tosses one of the shirts to the other boy. Bakugou shakes the garment out before stretching it over his head. "If it was unfair to anybody, it was those fucking losers. I don't need-"

Eijirou doesn't find out what Bakugou does not need, though, when a very wyvern screech breaks through the air and crawls up his spine. He's out the door in a flash and can feel Bakugou behind him. From the entrance of the outpost, he can see flicking pinpricks of light in the forest. Someone with torches.

Bakugou moves forward, drawing his golden axe, but grunts in pain. Eijirou pushes him back inside. "Hey, hey, maybe these people aren't looking for a fight? We should lay low."

"Who says I can't still fight?!" Bakugou pushes back against his hands, boiling temper and all. Kouka takes that moment to reappear, snapping at the blond boy and pushing him back. The wyvern is too strong for Bakugou when he's so tired. Tsuyu pushes past the boy, handing Eijirou a lance that is threaded with the new head and leather he'd bought from Araphen. The short girl turns on her heel and faces Bakugou, who is in a strange staring contest with Kouka.

"You, get back inside and watch over Uraraka. Kouka, you keep an eye on him," she orders. Bakugou looks like he's going to refuse, but the great wyvern crowds his space, squeezing into the hall and pushing him back towards the barracks. When they're gone, she turns back to see Eijirou leaning against the open door to the outpost.

"That was well done, Tsu," he chuckles.

She grants him a small smile. "There aren't any other entrances to this building, but a few hard hits to some of these walls will have them crumbling."

He hums and looks back out into the night, eyes tracking the tiny lights in the distance. "Whoever it is, we'll meet them and see what they want before picking a fight." Tsuyu flashes her daggers at him anyway, just to show she's armed. The chill of nightfall settles over them and Tsuyu leans into Eijirou a little. The warm blanket of companionship and familiarity falls over them as they gaze out into the forest.

In the end, the lights pass and Tsuyu is sent back while Eijirou takes watch. Inside the dorm, Bakugou sits, glaring at Kouka.

"Tell this flying lizard that people aren't fucking snacks."

"What did you do?"

Bakugou's hackles raise, "Not a damn thing! It bit me and won't stop staring at Angelface over there."

"'It' is a she," Tsuyu just giggles, passing a hand over Kouka's neck as she moves to her bed. "Kouka just doesn't like boys as much as girls, Eijirou being the exception, of course." Bakugou still looks mad so she continues. "Besides, you seem pretty annoying."

The blond can barely start to get agitated before Kouka snaps at him, dangerous teeth glinting. His resulting unintelligible yelling cuts off as Uraraka groans and shifts in her sleep. Tsuyu removes her boots and lays down.

"You'd better get some rest, Bakugou. You're on guard duty after me."

WHERE THERE'S SMOKE – KINDLE

The wyvern's snores definitely don't help him. Katsuki has always been a light sleeper so the great beast's snuffling keeps him from getting real rest. But a few winks are enough with how he's been living on his own. Footsteps pad into the room: the red-headed wyvern rider. He wakes up his companion quietly and sinks into the still warm bed on the other side of Uraraka… Ochako? Katsuki shakes his head.

When the other girl is out of the room, he speaks. "Why are you doing this? I could be a serial killer, a criminal, and you're just trusting me to not kill you all in your sleep." He hears a hum from the boy's direction.

"Well, you haven't yet." A yawn. "Tsuyu can take care of herself and you saved Uraraka, right? So you can't be all bad…" There's a beat of quiet and the sound of rustling sheets. "I was worried when I saw you running around Araphen, looking like you'd been living with wolves a few days ago, but after meeting you at the armory and watching you fight… I guess I think you're an interesting guy. I think it's alright to trust you."

Katsuki has no response.

WHERE THERE'S SMOKE – KINDLE

The sun barely peeks over the horizon, sneaking through the nearby forest in small rays of yellow. Katsuki basks in the relatively small warmth it gives him, shifting to sit more in the light's direct path. He's cold and he hates it. The last shift had been the coldest and quietest. The higher the sun gets, the more his blood warms and he stretches lightly, ready to be on the road and on his own again. Walking back inside, he wonders if the other three are up and hopes the stupid false dragon is not.

The pair from Bern- and he is certain now that they are from Bern, based on their clothing and accents, though they did a decent job of hiding it- are asleep on the same cot, back to back. The girl is holding the handle of something under the pillow. Likely a dagger. At least someone had some presence of mind around almost strangers. The wyvern is wound into a large ball of reptile at the foot of their bed. Her form takes up most of the floor space between the rows of cots in the barrack.

When his red eyes wander over to Uraraka, he finds her eyes open, the brown orbs much clearer than when she'd been flushed out of magic. She slowly and silently lifts herself up, maintaining eye contact. Tenderly, she grips her head and he doesn't envy the headache he knows she must have from emptying her reserves. When she manages to get up and tiptoe around the sleeping semi-dragon, she stops. Barefoot and shoulder to shoulder with him, she circles him as he does her in the doorway. They break eye contact when she jerks her head towards the entrance. To follow her.

Unwilling to wake a sleeping dragon, he does.

She's checking her wounds and stretching her toes in the grass when Katsuki meets her at the entry hall. "Who are those two? Where are we?"

"Ask them yourself," he says, slumping back into the dirt next to her. "I'm out of here as soon as they're awake."

"Hmm, well, I guess that's your right, but thanks for saving me back at the arena," she hums while peeking beneath the bandages wrapped around her fingers, wincing a little at whatever she sees. He starts to reply, not wanting her to think he was _trying_ to save her or anything when a noise comes from the bushes on the periphery of the tiny clearing the outpost is in. They both sit stockstill, waiting.

The rustling begins again, followed by shouts and loud footsteps. Bandits burst from the forest. _Shit, they must be part of the arena collusion ring_ , he thinks. They were caught! Katsuki unclips Hauza, mind wildly trying to think of a way that this many men could have snuck into the area without him realizing it. On _his_ watch, too!

"Go grab your tomes and those lazy sacks outta bed! And for fuck's sake, put on some shoes!" he yells, sparing a quick glance at Uraraka. She doesn't respond, though, eyes narrowed then blown wide as she watches the approaching brigands. She's rooted to the spot, boots clutched in one hand loosely. Katsuki growls, "Uraraka!" Nothing. The men are almost upon them, close enough he can make out tattoos on their arms and wicked expressions on their faces. He barks at her as he counts the bodies throttling towards them. "Ochako! GO!"

Instantly, she snaps into action, running, slipping on her bare feet against the old and mossy tile. The guys charging have swords and therefore the advantage over him. He grits his teeth and gets ready to guard the entrance.

WHERE THERE'S SMOKE – KINDLE

The wyvern is already awake when Ochako busts into the barracks, triggering the girl to wake and jump out of bed, knife in hand. The boy with her is putting on his armor and picking up a lance. The girl tosses Ochako's satchel, heavy with the weight of her tome, toward her. She snatches it. The telltale sound of metal on metal can be heard echoing off the walls.

The dark haired girl turns to her as she quickly ties her hair in a knot. "If we can't fight our way out or hold our position, we should use the weaknesses in the side wall to escape. We could lure the attackers in for a cave in."

Ochako withdraws her fire tome, checking the number of pages left unburnt away from use. The pair starts for the door, but Ochako yelps. "Hey! Those guys are- we should just run! Cut our losses!"

The duo look between each other and back at her, stunned. The redhead shakes his head. "We can't just leave Bakugou to fight on his own."

The girl steps towards her, taking her hand. "I understand if you're scared, but our best chance to get out of this is if we all stick together." There is sympathy shining in her deep green eyes and it makes Ochako want to recoil. It isn't of the number of opponents or a repeat of the arena battle that Ochako is scared of. "You won't be alone this time."

 _There's no way around this_ , Ochako thinks. She sucks in a breath and squeezes the girl's fingers briefly. "I'm Uraraka."

"Tsuyu, and this is Eijirou. Nice to meet you."

Bakugou is still fighting, despite the numbers against him, when they reach the entry. The wyvern, Kouka, exited from one of the crumbling walls, swooping through the throng of bodies. Eijirou sprints towards her and swings into her harness to begin his attack. Tsuyu slips between their enemies, blades flashing from beneath her shortened cloak. Ochako takes up position behind Bakugou, flipping open the Elfire tome. Eyes on the front line of attackers, she hones in on what had her frozen before: the black tattoos twining up the arms of the men. Her first fire ball slams into the chest of the nearest one, exploding and lighting some of the nearby grass and shrubs. Bakugou barely flashes a grin in her direction, running and swiping his magic axe through the flames.

Decimation is too good for these people, Ochako feels, fingers heating as the spell crosses her lips again.

WHERE THERE'S SMOKE – KINDLE

Tsuyu is too quick for him to follow on the ground, so Eijirou watches from Kouka's back. He slings the javelin he fashioned, impaling an assailant. When they dive down to retrieve it, Kouka's wings clip several others, knocking them down and disorienting them. Tsuyu is there in an instant to dispatch them.

He hates that Tsuyu has to resort to this. To killing others to survive, to stealing to make sure they can eat, to giving up everything they had in Bern to help him escape. He knows that she has no regrets, having told him as much, but it doesn't stopper the feeling that she deserved better.

She is his best friend and he wants nothing more than to let her live a life not on the run.

For now, though, Eijirou can only focus on keeping her safe. Kouka screeches as they sweep through another group of enemies and he strikes out with his lance, using the long reach to bash heads and stab into shoulders. His peripheral vision stays tuned to the flash of small daggers and long dark green hair.

WHERE THERE'S SMOKE – KINDLE

Giran evaluates the battle in front of him. A wyvern and four children, laying waste to his lackeys. Warm bodies were a dime a dozen and it doesn't surprise him that these simpletons from a backwater town such as Araphen, large though it is, are not up to task. A bunch of gamblers and drunkards does not an impressive armed force make. Particularly when his form of payment to them was alcohol, bribes, and drugs.

He sighs as he categorizes the children who ran away with the large gold purse from his tournament. Rigged tournament or not, it was a large amount of coin to part with. Funds that he needed in order to both keep his lifestyle and his head. The portion he paid back to the head organization was sizeable, funding whatever it was their master plan was.

He wasn't high enough to know anything about that.

Yet, watching the flames flickering across the field tingles something in his brain. Magic users, particularly strong offensive magic users, were not common in these parts. Bern had long since lost most of its major mage bloodlines to Etrurian and Ilia. Araphen lay in the shadow of the mountainous border between Lycia and Bern. Giran pulls out a telescoping lens, focusing on the epicenter of the flames.

A young girl?

A niggling in the back of his head that feels like familiarity is ignored when another person runs through the flames, golden axe glinting in the red-yellow light. The boy dances between flashes of fire without issue, weapon gleaming with poorly concealed magic power. Blond hair, affinity for fire, and a red and gold axe.

 _Well, I'll be_ , he thinks. The prodigal son of the Burning General lost no more.

Missing for the past two years and with a large bounty out for his safe return, Giran grins at the possibility of great reward to add to the money he would recoup with this attack. What he wouldn't give to recruit such a young and capable warrior. He grabs the nearest foot soldier, an archer, to dispense new orders.

"Capture the lordling; kill the rest."

WHERE THERE'S SMOKE – KINDLE

When the next wave of reinforcements arrives, Katsuki growls. Did they never cease? He hated to admit it, but he was growing weary. Even the power boost he received from the magical fire blazing around him was not enough to keep regular loss of stamina away. He hadn't eaten anything in almost a day now. Uraraka or Ochako or whatever her name was is nearby, sweating, tome looking near empty. Ash carries on the light wind, all that's left of the pages of the book.

Eijirou is in the air, deadly from the back of his flying lizard. Tsuyu dodges between the enemies, still at work, but flushed and winded. Katsuki scans the battlefield, his eyes catching on one thing between the flames and bodies littering the ground. It's a gray-haired broad-shouldered man, watching the proceedings with a grin. He feels their eyes lock and he curses to himself as he sees the recognition on the man's face.

Katsuki swipes Hauza through some of Ura-ko's flames ready to charge the figure who knows who he is and wants to cash in on it. The bulk of the reinforcements descend upon him at that moment and his opportunity is lost as the fight distracts him with enemy blades.

WHERE THERE'S SMOKE – KINDLE

Ochako glares down at the empty shell of a book in her hand. The ashy remains of the pages are not good. She did not have a backup, having forcibly abandoned her supplies when they were attacked and then fled the arena. What a waste of gold.

Weaponless, Ochako weighs her options. She could certainly still fight without the tome, but at the cost of their enemies knowing exactly who she was. The focus shift to overwhelming Bakugou was interesting as was the commander staring at him with a grin on his slimy face.

Wait.

That man was-!

Low profile be damned, Ochako's magic flares, fanning the flames on the field into place. The path it lights scorches anyone who gets in her way and she proceeds with purpose. If she isn't going to run from this fight, she'd burn them all to the ground. The flames superheat her skin painfully, but Ochako ignores it as she comes up to Giran. She whips her hands through the air, magic circle thrown viciously into the air. The glowing symbols catch his attention, but the expelled force of her fire strikes him harshly before he can reach for his sword.

The flames are thick, racing up her skin, burning her bandages and sleeves and darkening her thick boots. The pain is grounding as Ochako watches Giran trip while backing away. His face is too burnt to see well, his hands too burnt to grip his blade well. He scrambles backwards on the ground and she steps on his sword, to pause him. Ochako grabs him by the chest plate, wrenching him towards her, heating the metal in her hand.

"How did you find me?"

WHERE THERE'S SMOKE – KINDLE

Katsuki shakes sweaty bangs out of his eyes and wipes the blood off Hauza on the shirt of the last opponent from the horde that had descended upon him. They had fought differently than the first wave, aiming to disable him and not kill. He knows that big shot ordered them to take him alive. He knew who Katsuki was. Great.

He grimaces and turns back to the slight hill the man had stood on. Katsuki starts when he sees Ura-ko towering over the boss with fiery hands, no tome in sight. Behind him, he hears yelling and turns to see an archer aiming for her back. On instinct, he throws Hauza, barely registering the thud the impact makes. He runs to pick it up from the body and turns back to Ura-ko.

He can hear more yelling and calls for retreat around him as he watches her drop the smoking body onto the ground.

WHERE THERE'S SMOKE – KINDLE

* * *

 **Scene 4. In A Name**

Her fingers burn under the force of the magic she expels into the chestplate. "How did you find me? Tell me!"

Giran squirms, wincing each time he touches the metal with his skin. Despite the obvious pain and discomfort, he chuckles darkly. "Find _you?_ I wasn't looking for anybody, just trying to keep some pesky kids from ruining my money cow."

Ochako starts, "This is about the arena?! But-"

She's interrupted by a cough and another hissing wince. "I'm in it for the cash, especially after seeing that one boy. With a bounty like-"

"Don't get away from the point," she growls, shaking him. "I know who you are; you, your men, you're branded. If you weren't looking for me, then why are you here, _Recruiter Giran_?"

"Recruiter? How did you-?" She rips away the sleeve of his tunic, revealing a tattoo. Hidden in the twining dark lines was the crest, plain as day to her eyes: a twisting snake, fangs bared. Giran's eyes widen, thoughts connecting rapidly in recognition.

" _You-_! I know you, you're-" his words choke off as fire spirals down her arm, burning his oxygen and face. When Ochako drops the superheated metal, the man inside is nothing but a burned mass. The smell is enough to make her heave and her eyes water, but she withholds it, willing herself not to vomit at her own act. It was necessary, she tells herself. She can't be found, not now.

Drawing a shuddering breath, she turns back to the field, hoping beyond hope that the downfall of their commander will force the rest of the troops to retreat. All her eyes catch on, however, is Bakugou, staring at her while wrenching his axe from an archer.

WHERE THERE'S SMOKE – KINDLE

The field clears of enemies quickly after the commander goes down and Tsuyu really wants to know why the body is so charred. She lets the thought wash over her, however. She was in no position to judge Uraraka's actions. Tsuyu continues to rifle through the pockets and satchels of the fallen men. What did they have need of gold, weapons or medicine for when they were dead?

She's certain Eijirou would not approve, even if he begrudgingly admits she is right.

Tsuyu looks up when the sound of horse hooves clattering on the forest floor reaches her ears. She stands as two cavaliers break out of the foliage, over the crest of the trailhead. Wait, one horse was pure white, with wings folded neatly at its sides. The pegasus rider and cavalier trot their steeds towards her as she is closest to the forest's edge.

"Ho there! Can you tell us what happened here, miss?" the pegasus rider asks. Tsuyu categorizes his features, sizing him up in case she has to fight. She's so tired though, ready for a midmorning catnap, and the man has a serious if earnest face, framed by black hair and spectacles.

Before she can respond, his companion speaks up. "I apologize for Tenya's hastiness. My name is Izuku and this is my friend, Tenya. We heard a commotion and came to see what the trouble was."

Tsuyu takes in his freckled face and windswept green hair. He looks innocent and honest to her eyes. "I'm Tsuyu. Nice to meet you. We were staying in that outpost overnight when we got attacked at first light."

She withholds detail, not quite knowing enough about her two new companions to say anything for certain. She definitely was not going to tell them that they'd fled from an arena full of hostiles and she'd stolen the prize money in the confusion. Even Eijirou hadn't noticed yet.

As if the thought could summon him, Kouka swoops down between Tsuyu and the duo, pushing a large gust of wind up and separating them. Eijirou dismounts as the new pair try and keep their steeds under control. The pegasus looks understandably shifty and nervous in the presence of the wyvern. Izuku and Tenya dismount as well, shaking hands with Eijirou and introducing themselves again. Tsuyu watches as the tension in Eijirou's shoulders dissipates. His innate ability to trust in others warms her heart as he grins at the newcomers.

"Wow, never seen a pegasus in the flesh before!" he says, excitement brimming. Tenya pushes his glasses up his nose proudly.

"Gear is a fine specimen to see for your first," he exclaims. "I've never seen a wyvern before either."

"I'd love to make a few sketches of your wyvern myself, but right now, I think it's more pressing to ask you about what happened," Izuku interjects. "We were brought over here by the noise, but this is an awful lot of bodies for two people to take down. Not to mention the thugs that ran straight past us back towards Araphen in the forest."

"Yes, any explanation would be appreciated," Tenya says. "We're on a bit of a hunt for outlaws ourselves and have had nothing but dead ends. In fact, we passed right by here sometime last night and didn't even notice this fort."

Tsuyu exchanges a glance with Eijirou. "Well, we aren't alone. We're with two others at the moment."

"Can't say quite why we got chased, but we were in a bad situation in the arena in town…" Eijirou trails.

"I think it might have been because of the competition prize money," Tsuyu confesses. Eijirou gives her the most incredulous look, as though he both expected this and cannot believe it. He watches with wide eyes as Tsuyu unties the bulky saddle bag that he had not packed off Kouka's harness. It thuds to the ground heavily.

"You didn't…"

"I did."

"Tsu!"

"What? Technically, Uraraka or Bakugou would have won anyway, so we can split it and take a fee for rescuing them." Her arms cross as Eijirou glances between her and the bag. Izuku and Tenya stand around, not sure what to say about their new acquaintance's sticky fingers.

WHERE THERE'S SMOKE – KINDLE

Katsuki storms up to the mage girl. She's walking back swiftly to the outpost, tense and back ramrod straight. He stomps faster to catch her.

"What the fuck was that, huh?"

She ignores him.

"If that was their leader, we could have found out what he knows- why the hell he attacked us!" He feels like he knows already, but he needed to confirm that his identity was the impetus and not coincidence. When Ochako ignores him again- and he's certain now that Uraraka is not her real name-, he bursts a capillary. "DAMMIT, Ochako, I'm talking to you!"

Somehow, he isn't expecting her to whip around, finger in his face. "No, you're _yelling_ at me. Those thugs were after the money, so your new friends must've picked it up before flying us outta there. That guy was a threat and now he's not." She huffs, blowing some soot-covered bangs out of her face. "...and stop calling me that."

He twitches, not liking her answer in the slightest. "What, _Ochako_? That's your name, isn't it?"

The girl flinches and then gets up in his face, so close he can smell the ash and pre-thunderstorm scent that often accompanied magic. "Look, I don't need a wind tome to slice out your tongue. Stop. Callin'. Me. That." Each word is punctuated by the slightest flick of her finger, cutting shallowly into his shirt, his hair and once high on his cheekbone. She backs up a little, eyes guarded despite his probing. "It isn't something I want people to know."

She turns on her heel, moving away again. Katsuki is rooted to the spot as he stews. She'd unknowingly provided him with a large amount of information, more than just her real name. He can't concentrate on it right now as he angrily wipes the blood welling on his cheek away, muttering to himself. "Like I don't have a mantle I want to get rid of."

Ochako is stopped before she reaches the fort by Tsuyu and Katsuki finds himself joining them when he spots the two new men standing with Eijirou.

"I don't think we all were properly introduced, but I'm Tsuyu and this is Eijirou. These two are Tenya and Izuku."

Katsuki glances out of the corner of his eye at Ochako, wondering what her play would be. "Nice to meet you. My name's Uraraka."

He harrumphs and he can feel the animosity rolling off of Ochako. "Bakugou."

The shorter one, Izuku, is looking between them, calculating something. Before he can snap, the young man's eyes latch on Ochako's hands. "Oh my goodness! Your hands are blistered and burnt!"

He continues gushing and offering her salves while Ochako demures, but Katsuki's gaze is now drawn to her hands. He remembers seeing her use of fire sans tome, a feat that was highly difficult and even more unusual. Even career mages didn't achieve that without a deep well of magical potential. He should know. Her hands are red, burn marks twisting around her fingers and up into the torn and crispy remnants of her arm coverings. There are blisters, too, between her fingers and on her palms, lining the inflamed markings.

"Please, take my riding gloves! It will help protect them once treated," Izuku pushes. Ochako winces lightly as she pulls her hand from his, reluctantly accepting the vulnerary, but not the gloves.

"I appreciate the gesture, truly, but it's best to let them get some air, I've found," she says. Her voice is soft and unlike how she spoke to Katsuki just minutes before. It's unpleasant to hear her simpering so he's mildly grateful when the green-haired idiot's companion breaks into a lengthy explanation on how they got there. Two sentences in, his gratitude and patience wear out.

"-and though the storm was heavy and we could hardly find any shelter, we somehow made our way to the great gates of Ostia, when-"

"For the love of- I don't care!" Katsuki explodes. Tenya looks affronted and about to speak again, with Katsuki ready to hit him if he did. Izuku pushes his friend back a little.

"Uh, s-sorry, Tenya can get a bit, uh, long-winded, in his accounts…" he stutters, wilting a bit under the full force of Katsuki's glare. "We met between Ilia and Pherae and came out here searching for clues on the, uh, the r-resurgence of a gang."

Katsuki doesn't realize he's leaning forward and growling until a warm hand pulls him back by the arm. Ochako's skin is too warm from her burns, but she doesn't let him go until she physically steps between them. He scoffs at her short glare and how it melts into a genial smile for Izuku. "Sorry, we've been having a rough week and he's grumpy."

"Well, we're trying to follow in the footsteps of King Roy and Roland, to be heroes of sorts," he says, stutter magically gone while talking to Ochako. "If you're in trouble or need help, you can call on us."

Katsuki sneers, "What a big promise. You going to follow us around just to 'save the day'?" He doesn't wait for a response, instead turning to leave. He can feel Ochako's eyes on him even as he walks away.

"Don't take it personally," Ochako sighs. Bakugou's back gets smaller as he stalks toward the fort. Eijirou calls after him, calls him rude, but Tsuyu tugs him back to her side.

"Why are you both trying to become heroes?" Tsuyu asks, directing the conversation back to less tempestuous waters.

Izuku shifts on his feet, running a hand through his horse's mane. "To be honest, we're trying to track down information on the recent rumblings of an old force of evil…"

"My clan, Ingenium, has been researching and listening to the underground," Tenya says. "We're mercenaries so we have ears in most parts of Elibe. Given their history and the large dormant period, it is quite upsetting to hear that the notorious Black Fang may be returning."

Tsuyu leans towards them, eagerly. "I heard that name in Araphen, while I was... " Eijirou winces at her. "...listening." She straightens, occupying her hands with undoing the knot in her long hair. "Other locations were mentioned, but I wasn't paying close attention. I was more concerned with mentions of Bern, but there were none."

Tenya glances at Kouka again and then over Eijirou's armor. "Yes, I imagine you would be more concerned with news from the west."

"I don't know anymore than what Tsu found out," Eijirou says, crossing his arms. Kouka nudges her way under his arm, muzzle fitting into the crook of his elbow until his arm is around her neck. He is distracted from her presence though, when Uraraka scoffs under her breath.

"Most of the historical data on the Black Fang puts them based in Bern, though," Izuku tries. Uraraka shifts restlessly.

"Oughta search in Etruria rather than Bern…" she mutters. Her face screws up for a moment, twisting into some unknown expression, before she turns on her heel and leaves. Eijirou and Tsuyu stare after her.

"What does Miss Uraraka mean by that?" Tenya asks, openly displaying his puzzlement. He makes a motion to follow, but Izuku pauses him again.

"Tenya, we should take this time to check out the village before whatever presence the Black Fang had there is gone." He turns back to Tsuyu and Eijirou, smile on his freckled face. "Thank you for the information. I hope our paths cross again and wish you well on your travels."

They watch the pair mount their steeds and trot back into the depths of the forest, waving. They disappear in the vague direction of Araphen and Eijirou slowly lowers his own wave, draping the arm over Tsuyu's shoulders.

WHERE THERE'S SMOKE – KINDLE

* * *

 **Scene 5. Affinity**

"So, where to next?" Eijirou says, standing in the doorway. His hands are on his hips and his face is open and eager. The fatigue of the battle seems to have left him unusually quickly when faced with the prospect of adventure. Tsuyu sighs to herself a little as she takes in the state of the inner barracks. Uraraka and Bakugou are on opposite sides of the room, packing whatever meager supplies were still good into some worn bags that she'd spotted while looking for first aid supplies earlier.

"Into Lycia, a city maybe," Uraraka mutters, almost to herself.

Bakugou snorts. "Anywhere but here."

Tsuyu can almost feel the words bubbling up in her long-time friend. "Well, let's get ready to go then!" The implication is there and it causes the arena duo to look up from their packing, baffled. "We're headed anywhere but Bern-" she has to resist the urge to elbow him in the side for basically saying they were on the run- "-so let's go together."

"Not a chance in hell," Bakugou growls.

"Aw, c'mon, bigger groups aren't as likely to get mugged by highwaymen."

Bakugou seems to deflate at this a little before puffing right back up into a series of half-thought out excuses. Tsuyu speculates his poor condition prior to the arena fight was due to a band of thugs charging 'entry' into Araphen.

"Not like I have any gold anyway," Uraraka sighs, staring rather mournfully at the men's clothing she'd stuffed in her bag and the torn and scorched sleeves of her shirt.

"You did win the prize money, though," Tsuyu says. Uraraka turns to her, confused. "I mean, Eijirou and I will be taking a fee for rescuing you both, but it was still pretty sizeable. I think it may have actually been more than was intended for the tournament, but-"

"Wait, you have the gold?" she perks up. Tsuyu nods and unlashes the bag. When she opens it, the four of them peer inside.

There was certainly gold inside, but also other items of value. Some lance heads and metal ingots shaped as though ready to be smithed, a tome or two, raw crystal used for making staves, and a couple rings and other pieces of jewelry. Eijirou sorts through the metalwork while Tsuyu counts out the coins. Uraraka flips through the tomes and Bakugou watches as she discards several. They have covers dyed blue and green. He narrows his eyes.

An Excalibur and a Fibulvetr?

Both were wind-based tomes, though some would argue that Fibulvetr was closer to making its own sect of magic in with its wintry blast. Ice wasn't really an element of Anima, though. For a minute, Katsuki lost himself in the lessons of his youth, learning about the Magic Cycle and Anima Trinity. Light magic and by extension healing magic cleansed dark magic. Dark arts corrupted Anima, the earth and all its elements. Anima was too solid, too heavy for light magic, a natural, neutral set of forces, and thereby overwhelmed it. Anima itself broke down into fire, wind, and lightning, with lesser elements like water (and by extension, ice) and earth recognized but not strictly a part of Anima. He'd never really understood why water and earth didn't count, but he assumed it was because the Trinity were more volatile and inconstant, things that could be created by man. He shuddered to think of any mage being capable of controlling the oceans or causing earthquakes.

"Here, Tsuyu, you can sell these." Katsuki's thoughts are broken by the mage girl's voice. She easily hands over the powerful spellbooks. How could she do that? He knew she could _use_ wind magic. Was she not proficient enough to cast the spells they contained?

Or was she already capable of casting them without the books?

Before he could follow that train of thought, before he could bring their battles back to mind, scraping for the evidence he knew he felt of her wind magic, Tsuyu jumps up.

"Whoa! These are pretty rare! We should definitely go on a shopping spree," she giggles and Ochako- he really needed to figure out how he was going to refer to her in front of the others- gets swept up in the smaller girl's planning.

Katsuki barely notices he's still watching them when Eijirou's elbow pokes him in the side. "We'll let them do their thing and hit the armory instead," the redhead says, tone modulated like they were sharing in some sort of ill-kept secret joke. "You probably want to replace that hand axe, at least."

He finds himself nodding, fingers errantly scratching at the thin line of scab over his cheekbone.

WHERE THERE'S SMOKE – KINDLE

Ochako wonders for the what must be the fiftieth time since the group had set out from the barracks two days ago if this was a good idea. She'd managed to avoid much talk outside of casual pleasantries and input about the weather, where they would camp, who would do what task to keep them fed and safe for the night. But now, fully within the borders of Lycia proper, there are fewer risks of brigands and thieves.

Which leads her to the current predicament: an evening of relaxing around the campfire.

Tsuyu had produced some long-saved fruit leather now that they were likely to reach a town soon so she could restock. The kind girl hands a piece to each of her traveling compatriots, but Ochako notices when Eijirou breaks his in half to give back.

"I know all about your sweet tooth, Tsu," he laughs as she tries to push it back towards him. "No give-backs."

It's rather sweet of the two of them and Ochako can't help the soft smile that spreads across her face. It really has been a while since she was last in the company of good people. Speaking of…. Bakugou hunches nearer the fire than any of them, clearly not feeling the heat of the flames nor the tenderness of the moment between the pair from Bern. She still doesn't have a handle on what his deal is, magic ability aside. He's rude, condescending, and intrusive.

Yet she had also observed him to have good leadership skills, a sense of responsibility, and a great deal of intelligence. While clearly a melee fighter, he had more knowledge of magic than he was letting on. If his magic axe didn't raise any flags, then his probing about her abilities was a dead giveaway. Tsuyu and Eijirou had never once questioned her ability to start their campfires without a tome, but she had seen Bakugou staring intently at her, eyes switching rapidly between the flames, her hands and her hip pouch where she carried the Elfire tome she found in the tournament treasure trove.

She'd have to be careful. The sound of more laughter brought her out of her thoughts and she refocused on Eijirou.

"Honestly, when we first left Bern- oh come on, Tsu, they had to know by now- we barely slept at all. Kouka was a right mess, constantly alert until even she needed to rest!" Ochako could hear Kouka snort from her place in the shadows around their encampment. "Anyway, we finally found this cave in the mountainside, overlooking the border with Sacae. She didn't like it, but I managed to convince Kouka to go in this dingy little hole in the wall so we could get some good shut eye."

"We pulled a bunch of scrub brush and branches from the area nearby to help hide the entrance," Tsuyu says. "I think we all slept at least a whole day and a half."

"Yeah, but after that, it's been pretty much smooth flying!" Eijirou recounts. Kouka snorts again, but her rider just chuckles more. "You know what I mean!"

"We made it to Araphen shortly after," Tsuyu says, glancing between Ochako and Bakugou. "So what about you two? It must be very different traveling on your own."

Ochako and Bakugou enter a short staring contest, her smile straining under the weight of how forced it is. His mouth wrenches to one side in a half-pout, half-grimace, but the moment has dragged on too long and Ochako can see Tsuyu opening her mouth again. "Well, there isn't much to say, really!" Ochako squeaks, breaking contact with the intense pair of red eyes.

She stares down at her fingers, wondering what she could get away with saying. "I'm a mage, obviously. From Ilia, but never much liked the weather. It's far too cold there, so when I decided to go get some practical magic experience, I decided to travel around Lycia!" She picks at her nails, dirt and some dead skin from her blisters flake off. "My… teacher… wasn't very good, so I-" she clasps her hands together, tightly interlocking the fingers as she forces herself to look at them. He gaze lands somewhere between Eijirou and Tsuyu, on their shoulders. "I took off on my own."

"So is fire your affinity then? I heard that most people from Ilia are ice or wind!" Eijirou asks. "The way you handle those flames is incredible!"

Ochako refuses to look over at Bakugou, knowing he has to be listening intently. "No, I'm not."

Eijirou seems to deflate, but he doesn't push to ask what her affinity is. "Don't mind him. He's got it in his head that affinities can help determine who can be great friends after we ran into a woman who did a reading on it," Tsuyu cuts in, glancing back at her friend. "Supposedly, they're really just based on your birthday. When's yours?"

"December," Ochako answers automatically. She flinches internally and hope that the woman didn't have some weird system worked out that would correctly guess her affinity.

"Thunder, then." Tsuyu leans back against the log they're propped against. "If what she says is true, then I'm Ice and Eijirou is Anima. I think its a bit of a generalization, though. How could everyone born in the same month be so similar to have the same affinity?"

Ochako laughs at that a little, glad that the so-called reading was so off-base. "Yeah, I can't say I believe that myself."

"So how about you, Bakugou?" Eijirou cuts in.

"April," he huffs. The other three blink at him vacantly.

"I, uh- I meant your story?" Eijirou asks.

Bakugou's eyes widen as though caught in a trap for a moment before they harden again. "Left home, been traveling ever since. Nothing else to say."

Ochako had hoped he'd say _something_ else, something that could make her feel like their playing field was level again, but no dice. He tosses another twig into the flames, pointedly avoiding eye contact with anyone. She barely realizes the camp had gone quiet until the silence is broken.

"Oh, another Thunder affinity? How curious." Tsuyu's voice is still even, but Ochako is starting to pick up on the girl's tones. She's amused.

"Yeah, whatever." Bakugou scrambles to his feet and tosses one last stick into the fire before jamming his hands into his pockets and stomping off. The flames glint off the buttery yellow blade that leans against the log he had vacated and Ochako wonders if he, too, was not aligned with Thunder.

WHERE THERE'S SMOKE – KINDLE

They reach Thria a few days later. The town is bustling with activity, the streets lined with colorful cloth of merchant tents. Katsuki watches with vague interest as Ochako and Tsuyu go over the wares of a vendor who is selling cloaks. Tsuyu convinces Ochako to try on a deep pink colored cloak, tailored to fall to the thigh with a hood and slits for arms to go through. Ochako twirls a bit in it, admiring the fabric. He has to admit that the color is good on her, matching well with her rosy cheeks. As she moves to unclasp it, he catches himself, coughs and looks away.

He somehow ends up locking eyes with Eijirou who waggles his eyebrows and grins. Katsuki scoffs and looks away. Tsuyu and Ochako are paying for their replacement cloaks, handing over their older ones for the vendor to repurpose and cut down on their cost. Tsuyu folds the dark green fabric over her shoulders and links arms with Ochako. She carries a bundle of deep burgundy under her other arm and Katsuki has to pause mentally before he wonders what it would look like.

"Eiji, we're going to head over the the bathhouse. The vendor said it was just over that way," Tsuyu says, pointing. "We'll find you later, if you can get us some accommodations for the night."

"On it, boss!" Eijirou grins, mock-saluting the small girl. Tsuyu smiles good-naturedly and tugs Ochako off into the crowd. The pink-cheeked mage clutches her new wares tightly and glances back just once at him before allowing herself to be lost in the throng with Tsuyu.

A hand on his elbow almost has Katsuki reaching for Hauza until Eijirou's voice hits his ears. "Let's go check out the blacksmith's and then find a place for the night. We've got all those things to sell or trade that we should be able to get a hand axe and javelin, no problem."

The pair makes it to the smithy without issue, though Eijirou did pause to sell some of the metal ingots to a jeweler instead, hoping to get a better deal and not seem as suspicious to the smith for having so much stock on hand. While the blacksmith appraises Eijirou's lance and looks through his stores for a suitable pole to fix a new lance head to, the redhead turns to Katsuki.

"So, I've been meaning to ask… what's up with your axe? I've never seen one like it."

Hauza is wrapped in some gauze material Katsuki had found quickly upon entering the town and was now stuffed into a slightly too big leather axe sheath. The weapon was recognizable to anyone who knew what it was and he really didn't want to attract that kind of attention. Or the attention of thugs who think it was worth a pretty penny.

And it was.

"It's just an axe."

Eijirou, for all his pleasantness and open acceptance of their tentative (in Katsuki's eyes) friendship, just pins him with a sardonic look. "Yeah, and Kouka is just a gecko."

Katsuki scrubs at his hair, irritated. He pretends to be interested in how long the blacksmith is taking, but Eijirou is focused.

"I mean, I've never even seen you do any maintenance on it! Every blade needs a whetstone from time to time."

"Hauza doesn't need sharpening."

"Oh, it has a _name_!" Eijirou perks up.

Katsuki presses his lips into a fine line, narrowing his eyes at the man. "I'll be outside."

It must have been enough information for the Bernian as he just waves and says he'll grab a good hand axe for him. Katsuki ducks into the shade of the smithy shop and grumbles to himself as the shoppers continue to mill about the lane.

WHERE THERE'S SMOKE – KINDLE

When Eijirou wakes, the night paints the room in pale blues. He shuffles out of the spare blanket, twisting his cloak on the rug beneath him. The inn they'd gotten for the night was a bit more expensive than any of them really wanted to pay so they had decided to go for a single room, with the girls taking the bed and the boys camping out on the rather fluffy if old pelt on the floor by the window. Not one of them regretted it when they heard the first tell-tale pitter patter of rainfall on the inn's roof. Bakugou's back is to him, curled up and facing the paned glass. His shoulder rises and falls slowly in deep sleep. Eijirou smiles a bit to himself, glad that the brusque man was starting to feel more comfortable with new friends.

His gaze shifts back into the room and the dark lumps on the lone bed. He stretches as he stands, ready to get a skin of water to clear some of the cottony taste of sleep. While standing, he notices only Uraraka's brown tuft of hair sticking out of the blanket. He glances back out at the water streaking slowly down the window pane and reaches to the floor for his cloak.

Barefoot, he slips from the room, down to the inn's side entrance they had used earlier. There, he finds Tsuyu, kicking her feet silently through the air, trousers rolled up and sans shoes and socks. The water flicks off her toes even as more rain tickles them. The sheen of her hair and the fit of her shirt on her shoulders tells him she's been playing in puddles again.

Fondly, Eijirou tosses his heavy cloak on her head, snickering when she sputters. He sits next to her as she tugs the fabric off, settling it over her shoulders.

"You're gonna catch a cold, ya know."

"I never do."

"Maybe."

She tucks herself closer to his side and he shifts to accommodate her. Eijirou lets the rain complement her voice, soft and lulling, as she describes the places she went with Uraraka, how clever and nice she was, where they went to get some sweet jellies and more fruit leather. Once her story has left her, they settle in silence for a while, until Tsuyu leans her head on his shoulder and he rumbles out the happenings with Bakugou at the smithy and how Kouka was excited to have a whole night to hunt, how she would enjoy the bath the nighttime rain provided.

When the silence rolled back in, they were both warm under the cloak, content to listen to the rain and steady breaths until the moon broke through the clouds.

WHERE THERE'S SMOKE – KINDLE

* * *

 **Scene 6. Kindle**

Light filters through the canopy as the unlikely troupe leaves Thria behind. This road is still lined with cobblestones, smooth and worn with use. It lies on one of the major arteries of Lycia, connecting the trade markets of Thria to the capital, Ostia. The great gated walls of a fortress city await them, a blue-gray slate that cuts sharp lines into the rolling hills.

"The arena there is supposed to be the biggest in the whole continent!" Eijirou says, nearly vibrating with excitement. "Imagine what kind of warriors that attracts! I can't wait to hop in the ring and test my mettle."

Tsuyu shakes her head fondly, looping her arm around his. "Eijirou, you know you can't bring Kouka into an arena full of people."

Eijirou deflates and looks up, eyes catching the small dark fleck of Kouka, dipping between the clouds. He hears a scoff from his right. Bakugou shoots him an unreadable look.

"Then get better, stupid."

Before Eijirou has time to process and respond, Uraraka snorts from the other side of Tsuyu. Her laughter picks up when Bakugou starts steaming, irritated that she found his comment funny. Then Tsuyu joins in, a quiet chuckle turning into a full giggle fest when Bakugou tries to grab at Uraraka around the pair. Uraraka dodges and the Bernians full on belly laugh at the antics as the blond chases the brunette around.

The chase turns into a game of tag, fingers brushing after the twisting tail of a cloak between giggles and good natured yells. Tsuyu is the eventual winner when no one is able to tag her once she slips from Eijirou. He ends up as 'it' far more often than any of the others, but it's more amusing when Bakugou is 'it' since he targets Uraraka. She's faster than the blond, but eventually gets tagged only to tag him back in half the time or get Eijirou after another failed attempt to make Tsuyu 'it'.

Time passes quickly and the road stretches and shrinks beneath their feet with miles passed. Kouka swoops down to buzz them when she gets bored and for a little bit, Eijirou gives in to his draconic friend, slipping into the sky with her. His outstretched hands catch the wind and moisture of clouds and his face lights up under the sun. Kouka's muscles ripple like a steady tide under a sheet of smooth scales. And when he returns to the ground a little lighter on his feet, his friends are still smiling and Tsuyu's hand slides into his.

It's a good day.

WHERE THERE'S SMOKE – KINDLE

Katsuki wakes to a paling sky and quiet camp. There is dew on his jacket and his hair feels damp. He ruffles it in an attempt to dry it out, likely leaving it messier than it was before. Eijirou's light snores draw his eye. The redhead and the little thief lean together against the giant flying lizard. It's wing folds over it's master's legs. Katsuki turns away, stretching his arms and back, checking for Hauza and his other gear. Even as far off the road as they'd gone for the night, it wasn't unheard of to be set upon by bandits. He twists to pop a vertebrae when he notices.

Ochako's bag is where it was last night, but with no Ochako.

He stands, looking around to make sure he didn't miss her while his eyes were still bleary. The sun is still only just coming up, but there's enough light for him to catch the lack of dew on the area near her pack. Katsuki stands over it, noting the neatly folded cloak. There are faint impressions of footprints left by the grass and dew and he follows them away from camp.

The tracks disappear into the undergrowth, but Katsuki hears crackling in the air and a soft whistling. He lets his ears guide him, eventually coming upon a small clearing. It contains the person he is looking for and the sight of her nearly takes his breath away.

Ochako damn near _floats_ across the tiny patch of cleared grass between the tall trees. Eyes closed, she moves to music he can't hear and makes her own with magic. Tiny ribbons of flame drip off her fingers, crackling in the air softly. They hang and twist in ways they should not, but if Katsuki squints hard enough he can see the air bend around the fiery streamers. It shimmers with heat like a mirage in the desert and he can almost feel the phantom warmth of it. Ochako's arms extend and curve as she moves, steps in patterns, drawing shapes in the dewy grass with her boots.

The movement is enchanting and he has to shake himself to focus and catalogue what he sees properly.

The mage girl is casting, san tome. She is casting two elements, without a tome. She is combining them, without even speaking a word.

He's flabbergasted. Katsuki hasn't seen mastery of this kind for a long time and the mystery of how she does it is killing him. Red eyes narrow in on her hands and fingers, hoping to catch the movements, to compare with standardized casting.

Ochako's gloves and sleeves are off, revealing red lines, twisting and twining up her arms. They're duller than they were when that cavalier was falling over himself about them, but the skin is still inflamed. She turns and his eyes catch on a different mark on her arm. Hard to miss, there is a black shape or series of lines on her upper arm, above the bicep. He leans in to try and get a better look.

Crack.

He steps on a twig and she snaps her head around. Katsuki finds himself pushed back by a gust of wind, heels scraping into soft dirt until his back hits a tree rather solidly. Ochako stands with her palm facing him, still in the middle of her little clearing as the sun starts peeking through the tree trunks. They lock eyes and she lowers her hand.

"You startled me. What are you doing here?" she asks, left hand slipping over the dark mark as his eyes flick towards it.

"Trying to make sure you don't burn down the forest, Angelface," he says, straightening his shirt. She makes a face at him as she reaches for her gloves and sleeves, piled at the foot of a tree. She pulls them on before he can get a closer look at the red skin and black marking.

He's sure he's seen that mark before, but it was such a quick look and he just can't remember where he may have seen it.

"Sun's coming up. Maybe we should start breakfast?" Ochako says, moving past him.

On instinct, Katsuki reaches out, grabbing her by the arm. One move of his hand will expose the mark, but he figures it's small potatoes compared to the display of magic he had just witnessed.

"Hey- what are you-?" she sputters as he pulls her around to face him.

"How can you use magic like that? Without a tome?" he questions, leveling her with a penetrating stare. She presses her lips together, eyes narrowing. "You use fire with a tome, then without, but you've got these burns like it hurts you. You use wind, too, but no tome."

She inhales deeply, as though trying to inflate herself and appear bigger. Or maybe yell at him. But she holds steady, eyes guarded, not willing to talk.

"You actually sold wind tomes you could use or learn from, so the question is… do you even need a tome?"

Brown eyes thin. "Plenty of people can use magic like this, without a book," she states, a bite behind her tone. "Haven't you ever heard of the mages and bishops of Etruria?"

The barb is pointed, but Katsuki won't rise to the bait. She suspects. He starts to rebut but she cuts him off.

"The Burning General, perhaps? I heard she's quite a powerful valkyrie and a perfect natural, barely ever needed a tome. Didn't she have a son?" Ochako leans in closer, sweeping over his features before locking back on his eyes. "Maybe he can, too."

Katsuki represses the strong urge to push her back into a tree and demand how she knew. In truth, he can't be sure this is more than conjecture- _good conjecture,_ though it is. So he lets Ochako pull out of his grip without asking about the mark or answering his questions about her magic skill. He listens as she calls out to Eijirou and Tsuyu, voice no longer full of suspicion. Katsuki surveys her practice area once more.

The clearing is littered with tiny scorch marks, a blueprint for a potentially deadly dance.

WHERE THERE'S SMOKE – **IGNITION**

* * *

 **CHARACTER CLASSES AND SKILLS**

All Classes and Skills are based on Fire Emblem Awakening Class System. Special Skills are created based on the Individual Character Skills in Fire Emblem Fates and gameplay rules.

 **Ochako – Mage**

\- Secondary class: (spoiler)

\- Skills: Focus, (spoiler), Mag+2, Tomefaire, (spoiler)

\- Special Skill: Zephyr (Mag+4, Spd+4 when wind element tome is equipped)

 **Katsuki – Fighter**

\- Secondary class: (spoiler)

\- Skills: Zeal, HP+5, (spoiler), Axebreaker, (spoiler)

\- Special Skill: Grenadier (when hit by fire element magic, next attack is guaranteed critical if Hauza is equipped)

 **Tsuyu – Thief**

\- Secondary Class: Archer

\- Skills: Locktouch, Move+1, Acrobat, Prescience, Skill+2

\- Special Skill: Camouflage (Avoid +30 when enemies are adjacent, +50 when enemies are within 2-3 tile radius)

 **Eijirou – Wyvern Rider**

\- Secondary Class: Villager

\- Skills: Aptitude, Str+2, Tantivity, Quick Burn, Deliverer

\- Special Skill: Riot (Str+5, Def+5 when adjacent ally is injured)

 **Izuku – Cavalier**

\- Secondary Class: Mercenary

\- Skills: Discipline, Defender, Patience, Rally Skill, Luna

\- Special Skill: One for All (no-miss one-hit KO/kill, but leaves Izuku with only 5% health)

 **Tenya – Pegasus Rider**

\- Skills: Speed+2, Galeforce, Relief, Avoid+10, Astra

\- Special Skill: Recipro (Spd+7 for first five turns, Spd-3 if health below 50%)


	2. Act 2 Ignition

**Act 2**

 **Scene 1 - Enthalpy**

The great fortress walls of Ostia tower far enough above the bustling streets and shops within to obscure any views of the grassy knolls and scattered forests that surround it. The city is chocked full of new sights, smells and sounds. Colorful material sways in the wind across the marketplace, while mouth-watering, sweet-smelling steam billows off food stalls. People are everywhere, haggling and laughing with each other. It's almost enough to strike a pang of homesickness in Katsuki. The imported weapon displays and curiosities from other nations coupled with the talkative market vendors remind him of Aquleia, the beating heart of Etruria. He does not often think of his birthplace, hasn't for a long time, but the feel of these streets is so similar to ones he used to roam when shirking lessons and dodging teachers.

Currently, he, Eijirou, Tsuyu and Ochako are at a sweet bread stand. The little thief shares her purchase of sticky buns with Ochako, the pair of them chatting back and forth while the boys watch. Eijirou munches on a sugared dough ball and Katsuki inspects the spicy, savory filling of his own bun.

"Have to say, I'm a little intimidated," Ochako says, chewing thoughtfully on a piece of the pastry. Her eyes dart around the crowd as she folds herself into her cloak more. "I haven't been to a city near this big since... ever."

She does seem uncomfortable to Katsuki and he can understand. The sheer number of people has only increased as the day lengthens. They had arrived through the eastern gates early that morning. Tsuyu tugs on the burgundy cloth around Ochako's shoulders, slipping an arm through the other girl's.

"It isn't so bad, I think. There's a lot of new things to see and experience here that you wouldn't be able to see in Ilia!" she says, tugging Ochako back towards the crowd. Katsuki and Eijirou follow them absently, the blond's eyes drifting down to stare at where Tsuyu's arm links through the mage's.

Ochako's cream colored sleeves are belted just above her bicep and the deep red of her cloak brushes over the exposed skin on her shoulder. Beneath the coverings is the black mark, which Katsuki cannot visualize after such a quick glance a few days ago. His face twists into a half-pout, half-grimace, trying to mentally collect and connect the puzzle pieces he needed.

A black mark, tomeless casting-

His thoughts are interrupted by an elbow jabbing into his side. "Hey, hey! What're ya staring at so intently?" Eijirou leans into Katsuki's space, eyebrows waggling. "Or rather _who_ ya starin' at?"

Katsuki's face scrunches up at the suggestion. "I wasn't staring at Ura-"

"Sure, sure, 'course you weren't!"

Despite himself, he can feel a flush crawling under his cheeks. "Listen, dragon boy, I just thought something was-"

"It ain't a crime to admire a pretty girl!" the redhead laughs, then leans in close with a serious look on his face. "Unless you've got some ill intentions. Then you'll have to answer to me."

There is a beat during which Katsuki can only stare back at the man in his personal bubble.

When Eijirou's face twitches into another grin, Katsuki can barely hold in his groan. "Buuuuuut I know ya aren't that kinda guy, Bakugou!"

Katsuki cannot keep back the urge to push Eijirou into the nearest fruit stand. He feigns ignorance even as the girls apologize to the vendor and pay for some of the crushed fruit. Eijirou cackles the whole time and it's all Katsuki can do to just shake his head at the man and not push him again.

WHERE THERE'S SMOKE - IGNITION

"We're gonna get some stuff for Kouka, so you two just hang out and have some fun!" Eijirou says, snagging the strap of Bakugou's bag off his shoulder and Tsuyu's arm in one move. He needs the assurance that Bakugou won't bolt and wants Tsuyu with him, both in general and also to enact his plan. "We'll meet you guys at that inn with the thatched roof we passed back a ways."

"Eiji, what are you doing?" Tsuyu says, taking three steps for each of his two.

Eijirou leans down to her ear, "Trying to get those two to get along better. Besides, I think Bakugou _likes_ her, like you know-"

Tsuyu twists to look back over her shoulder. Uraraka and Bakugou stand right where they were left, dumbfounded by the sudden departure of the Bern natives. "I'm not sure its like that, Eiji, but I can't say I wouldn't like them to be on friendlier terms." She turns to look up at him, shifting her arm in his hold so they're linked at the elbow. "Besides, I was having a good time with Uraraka. Not that I don't have fun with you, but you're not a girl."

"I'm aware," Eijirou grins. Tsuyu just peers up at him, wide eyes amused even after he pulled her away for this unexpected detour.

"So how are you going to make it up to me?"

Eijirou just laughs, shifting the arm linked with hers to wrap around her shoulders and tuck her into his side. His chest blooms with pleasant warmth as her hand naturally slips between his back and their packs to grip his side.

WHERE THERE'S SMOKE - IGNITION

Ochako can only stare as Tsuyu and Eijirou blend into the crowd. She has no idea why the pair had decided that now was the perfect time to go shopping for the giant wyvern, but away they went. And now she's alone.

With Bakugou.

She glances over and catches the red gaze that has settled on her. Thankfully, he looks just as confused. The grateful feeling only lasts a moment until definite awkwardness slips in and she looks away. The longer they stand there silent, the louder and bigger the crowd around them starts to feel. Someone bumps her and she stumbles, not ready for it.

She growls into the chest she's knocked into, hands fisting into a dark grey jacket. It's unfortunately familiar and Ochako looks up to see those same red eyes boring down on her. She can feel the flush rising in her cheeks and spreading down her neck. Pushing off of him doesn't help matters as she backs into another person who elbows her out of their way.

Bakugou sighs angrily and snatches her wrist, pushing through the early afternoon crowd. Ochako's face is still red and she struggles to keep up even with his iron grip. When she tries to find out where they're headed, Bakugou only grunts back 'anywhere with less idiots.'

Ochako stares at the back of his head as he leads. The blond strands of his hair are lighter and shiny in the daylight, sticking out in every direction, as unpredictable as he is. She is still trying to work out all the little hints she's gotten about the man. She's quite certain this axe user is from Etruria now, based on his features and the look he had in his eyes when she'd brought up the Burning General. He is so at odds from what she knows of Etrurians, though, that it sows a seed of doubt in her mind.

He might be blond and he seems pretty well-learned about magic- no one in her travels had ever caught on to her wind magic use under the veil of the flame tomes she used. Bakugou has a magic-imbued weapon of his own, for Elimine's sake! Yet he is also kind, in his own, brusque way, and that definitely does not compute with her mental image and experiences with an Etrurian out for blood and money.

The conundrum sends her thoughts into spirals, chasing thread after thread internally until some of the anxiety it causes her leaks out. She begins babbling about the crowd, not even really caring if Bakugou is listening to her. She just needs something to do, a distraction.

For his part, Katsuki is having trouble finding his way out of the growing throng. There seems to be no lack of people anywhere in the city's shopping district. Ochako is running her mouth about who knows what and her voice has steadily been getting higher, faster. With each passing minute, the string of words in his ear speeds up until Katsuki doesn't even know if she's inhaling. He sneaks a peek back at her and, as though there was any doubt, she's having some kind of panic attack. The next alley they come upon, he pushes her in and against the wall.

"Breathe, dammit."

People continue to pass their alcove, but the noise is much reduced. They stand in silence as Ochako's breathing slows and the flush from nerves and the sun starts to fade. Katsuki's about to ask if they should get going and find the inn, when a loud noise cracks behind them. They whip around to see a door slammed open at the back of the alley. A guy is tossed out harshly by two hulking men.

There's a gasp behind Katsuki as he's pulled back into the shade of the alleyway with Ochako's hand slapped over his mouth. The man is getting the tar kicked out of him by the two men. He picks at her hand, trying to wrench it away, but she just grabs him again and pulls him back out into the crowd. Katsuki yells at her as they dodge market patrons; the alleyway and men far, far behind them.

WHERE THERE'S SMOKE - IGNITION

Tsuyu only half wishes that Uraraka was with her and Eijirou. Honestly, she's enjoying the time with her friend. They do manage to visit some shops to find items for Kouka and to replenish their own supplies. The new harness straps and padding to replace the saddle's underlining will be well appreciated by the great beast. Throughout it all, Eijirou carries everything but her pack, to her chagrin. She has snuck a few items out of his bag to lighten the load without him knowing.

He pushes her into a small eatery offering local Ostian fair and they snag a corner table that allows Eijirou to set down his and Bakugou's bags. Tsuyu rolls her shoulders and combs through her hair to get out the smaller knots as they wait for their food.

"It sure is busier here than Bern, huh?"

Tsuyu hums in agreement, stealing a small glance at Eijirou as he watches the people pass the window. The late afternoon sun filters in soft through the pane and highlights his features and brightens his hair. "Busier, yes, but I'm glad we're here," she says.

He turns to her, smiling openly enough that she can see his crooked tooth and the creases around his eyes. She can't help but smile in turn. Their food arrives shortly after, a simple soup and some poultry, roasted. The taste is delightful and Tsuyu brings her hand to her mouth as the combination of smells and the flavor tingles on her tongue. Unbidden, it brings her eyes to watering. Despite the delicious complement of food, she feels her stomach roil and roll, emotions leaking out. She's broken from the sensation when Eijirou places a hand over hers, still clutched around a knife.

"You okay?" he asks quietly. The look on his face and the small bites taken out of his food indicate he probably understands without even asking.

"It tastes like…" Tsuyu trails. She places the knife down and he just continues to loosely hold her hand. "I guess I am a bit homesick after all."

He squeezes her hand with a kind look and they sit there another moment before he comments. "Can't let it go cold or to waste, right?"

"Right!" she laughs.

They pass the time amicably as the light dims outside into evening, Eijirou ordering a couple jelly tarts that starred the regional berries. They come fresh out of the oven and Tsuyu loves them so much that she could cry again. Unsurprisingly, Eijirou tips over half of his onto her plate, claiming he was full. She knows its a lie, but at this point, it is useless to argue with him over it. Instead she indulges for the moment in the sweet yet tart treat.

The clouds reflect a host of pale pinks and oranges against a dusky sky as the pair departs. Eijirou takes the few minutes Tsuyu finishes her dessert to repack their bags and strap Bakugou's to his own. When they set off leisurely for the inn, Tsuyu takes his free hand and he bumps her shoulder gently. With a shy grin that she treasures, he slips his fingers into the spaces between hers and she squeezes back.

WHERE THERE'S SMOKE - IGNITION

Somehow, through all the pushing and pulling of the crowds, they've ended up in the park that surrounds the arena, where festival tents are being set up for the upcoming tournament. Ochako is still dragging him by the arm so Katsuki is still complaining.

"Hey! Dammit, Angelface! Let go!"

She doesn't seem to hear him and continues pulling Katsuki farther into the grassy area. Trees are scattered randomly throughout the small square and as they pass one, he grabs ahold. Even jerked back by that, the mage girl single-mindedly tugs him in the opposite direction of the alleyway they'd been in. With no other choice, he goes with the only thing guaranteed to get her attention.

"Ugh… Stop, Ochako!"

Like magic, she does. But then she's whipping around and Katsuki can practically feel the air pressure around them drop.

"What did I say about calling me that?" she hisses, eyes glittering with half-baked murder plans.

He isn't feeling too pleasant right now, either. "Considering it's the only thing I'm positive will get your fucking attention, I'll use it how I damn well please."

Ochako lets out a noise somewhere between a growl and scream. Her face screws up, red and angry as she glares at him. He's almost impressed until she stamps her foot, then he's _definitely_ impressed and possibly a little... excited? Katsuki's blood quickens when the grass and flowers near Ochako's feet fall silently to the ground. They are perfectly sliced.

No incantation. No indication that she even knew she was doing it.

She throws her hands up in the air and for a split second Katsuki wonders if he should have tried to shield himself from her unconscious magical outbursts. Yet Ochako just covers her face and slumps down to the neatly cut grass.

"You just don't understand," she mutters, deflating against the tree. He crosses his arms, shifting his weight. As he opens his mouth to retort, a loud grumbling comes from her stomach. Her face flushes heavily in embarrassment. It is almost cute how red and puffed out her cheeks get. He sighs to relieve himself of the thought and the tension from her outburst.

"You gonna run off again?" he asks. She pouts and turns away, picking at some of the tree's bark. "Well, are you?"

"No…" she mumbles.

"Fine, stay put." He turns on his heel to head back toward the tents. "I'm getting some damn food."

Ochako watches him go, notes his confident strides belying his frustration. He isn't exactly light-footed as far as she could tell. She is honestly still a bit shaken from the incident in the alley. The tattoos they had, the violence she knew had followed their departure. It had been dim, but she knew what she saw. In the past few weeks, she'd seen more members than she'd seen in a while and she was frightened. What if they had already found her, were tracking her? She finally made some space in her heart for friends and the thought of putting them in danger just by traveling together did not sit well. Ochako wraps her arms around herself, hand clasping over her bicep, the mark underneath her sleeves feeling nearly alive. Had Bakugou seen it?

That time in the forest, all those questions… he knew something.

But then there are many mysteries about the man himself. Giran had brought up a ransom. It, in retrospect, seemed he had not been looking for _her_ as she had feared, but Bakugou. That, combined with his magic-imbued axe and his reluctance to share anything about himself, prickles her memory. She had never seen the Burning General herself, but she knew the woman had a son and that he had gone missing. If Bakugou is the missing lordling, then-

A savory smell hits her in the nose and she blinks rapidly to focus on the grilled meat on a stick being shoved in her face. Ochako looks up to see Bakugou holding out the treat. Still a bit startled, she takes it without comment. Her fingers brush over his on the exchange and she suddenly becomes aware of the fact that they had spent a large portion of the day alone, dragging each other around by the hand. Ochako nearly drops the stick at the revelation as she remembers the sensation of calloused skin on hers, freshly healed from the latest round of blisters.

Bakugou plops down across from her and she steals a glance before focusing on her food. He sits cross-legged in the dirt, blonde hair wild and dappled with sunlight filtering through the tree. He's so casual and frankly, un-lord-like that she can barely picture him sitting in some ritzy manse, sipping tea or ordering servants around. She's pulled from her thoughts again when Bakugou kicks her boot, chewing on his empty stick.

"So why the hell did we run when we saw those guys?"

Ochako coughs a little, taken off guard. She grabs for her skin of water as much to clear her throat as to stall. "I thought they might be part of a gang I'd heard about," she says. Ochako quickly takes her last bite of food to occupy her mouth.

The fighter looks pensive for a moment, eyes flickering toward her arm. Ochako waits for another question on her personal history, on her mark.

"How did you know they were in a gang? Looked like a guy getting the boot from a bar to me," he says around the wood stick in his mouth. "Seemed like business as usual."

"Hmm… well…" Ochako taps her dowel against her lips, thinking about what to say. "They have these… tattoos. On their necks, they look kind of like…" she trails, scratching into some dirt on the ground rough shapes and swirls. "Sorry, I'm no artist."

He leans forward, trying to make out the crude shapes. When he glances up through his fringe, his red eyes are just as intense as she remembers. Ochako feels warm and self-conscious under his intense scrutiny, but she refuses to back away to gain more personal space. After another beat, he pulls back.

"I have know clue how the fuck you saw _that_ in a dark alley from so far away."

Ochako stumbles with her answer, trying to deflect, but Bakugou's stony face looks as unimpressed with her babbling as ever. She's tried being nice, tried cutting to the point, tried straight up yelling at him, but he sure is damn persistent in his pursuit of knowledge. She grasps for another topic, hoping to steer them into safer waters, at least until Tsuyu and Eijirou return and can act as a buffer between her and the relentless fighter.

"But, hey, you never answered Tsuyu! Why are you traveling around Lycia alone?" She almost doesn't expect him to respond, but he sighs and shifts to stare at his hands.

"I... wanted to breathe, to prove I'm strong on my own terms," he says, clasping his hands into fists. Her eyes catch on the small glint of gold she can see through his axe's wrappings and nods in silence. Bakugou doesn't make eye contact with her again and his knuckles look white, even as his posture seems to relax.

It's clear now that he is uncomfortable saying more, so Ochako stands, dusting her tights and tunic off. She offers him a hand up and plays it off smoothly when he rises without taking it.

"We should probably head to the inn now. Uh, thanks, by the way," she mutters. "For helping me, in the crowds earlier."

"Hn, not that many people in Ilia, eh?" he asks, still not looking at her. The sun is finally starting to set in earnest, the warm tones highlighting his profile. In the evening light, his straight posture and serious features do lend themselves to the image of a lord, hiding in plain sight.

"...yeah, something like that."

WHERE THERE'S SMOKE - IGNITION

They check the tournament registration the next day and Tsuyu is not at all surprised that they've missed the deadline. The boys are understandably irritated and even Uraraka looks a bit put out. For herself, Tsuyu is perfectly fine watching the battle royale. She's also secretly happy that Eijirou wouldn't be putting himself in danger needlessly. He is so used to fighting alongside Kouka now that she isn't quite sure how he would hold up on his own. Kouka herself had been spending time in the forest outside Ostia. Either she or Eijirou had taken to nightly visits since they'd arrived, to check on the wyvern.

The small odd jobs and the paraphernalia she had nicked last month from the Araphen arena scammers had funded them well enough to afford tickets to all rounds of the tournament in addition to their accomodations at the inn. Since Bakugou and Eijirou had wanted to enter themselves, they're quite early for the first round. The preliminary matches of the day haven't started yet so the arena is pretty empty, except for the stalls starting to set up.

The group enters, Eijirou trying to engage Bakugou in conversation on one on one battle strategies. Tsuyu slips her arm through Uraraka's and tugs.

"We're going to get some snacks," Tsuyu calls, making both the boys turn back to look. "Maybe some jerky and some fruit?"

Bakugou just nods, but Eijirou grins widely, asking her to get apples if the vendors had them. Tsuyu nods and Uraraka keeps step with her. They chit chat about what to buy until they come to the line of stalls just inside the arena's grounds.

"Think we should get some of these flags for the tournament?" Tsuyu asks, holding up a small triangular pennant. Uraraka grins, arms laden with their food supplies.

"Aren't they doing teams for the opening rounds? We could each pick a team to root for!" she says excitedly. Tsuyu smiles back at the girl, glad that the mage was finally opening up.

"That sounds great. I'll get one of each then," Tsuyu responds. She turns back to the stand. "Would you mind grabbing another apple? I know four seems like plenty, but I'm sure that Eijirou will eat at least two on his own…"

Uraraka makes a noise of assent and Tsuyu hears her footsteps bounce away lightly. The food stand is just on the other side of the wall of the novelty stand she is in. Tsuyu fingers the fabric of the little red flag stitched with a fire insignia. A scuffle behind her draws her attention and she mentally recounts the number of footsteps Uraraka had taken.

When she is suddenly thrown to the ground, Tsuyu knows it was not enough. The sound of fruit rolling on the wooden floor and a gasp of pain makes Tsuyu twist her head towards it. She scratches her chin on the rough flooring, but ignores it when she sees Uraraka in a similar position to herself: an unfriendly knee in the small of her back, arms twisted uncomfortably and face squished against the ground.

The person holding down Uraraka appears to be a woman, wearing heeled boots and a maniacal grin. The large hands on Tsuyu's arms indicate that her attacker is probably a man. If only she could reach one of her hidden knives, she could-

"Ah, there you are, little Ochako!" the woman simpers. "I was beginning to think you didn't like me so I just had to come and see you myself."

Uraraka struggles and strains against her captor and Tsuyu tries to get free, too. Who was this? Why was she calling Uraraka, Ochako? All she gets for her troubles is to be slammed against the floor again. Tsuyu sees stars this time and closes her eyes for a moment to concentrate.

"Uh-uh, feisty girl, no magic," the woman reprimands. "You _know_ it won't hurt me enough to escape, and then what will happen to your…. friend?"

Tsuyu opens her eyes and sees Uraraka- or was it Ochako?- stop struggling, the strange woman leaning over her near her ear. The crazed look is still there and all of her attention is locked on the tense mage girl. Tsuyu swears the woman's eyes are glowing gold.

Her friend turns her gaze to Tsuyu, terrified. They lock eyes for one long moment before Uraraka tries to speak. "Tsuyu, I'm-!"

Everything goes black.

WHERE THERE'S SMOKE - IGNITION

Ochako watches, horrified when Dabi bashes Tsuyu's face into the floor. The clerk manning this stall is nowhere to be found and no one has walked by during the entire interaction between her and their two assailants. Not a single passerby. Tsuyu's slack body and the hint of blood beneath her head make Ochako's heart ache.

They're utterly alone and she is cursing her luck from here all the way back to the Dragon's Gate.

Himiko looms over her again, twisting her arms harshly. Ochako winces against the unnatural angle of her limbs. "You'll be a good girl this time, right?"

"If- If- you let Tsuyu go-" she gasps.

Dabi raises an eyebrow at her, pulling on his stitches. His golden eyes are flat and emotionless as he crouches over the thin girl and lifts her by her long dark hair. There's a cut across Tsuyu's face, skin split across her brow and nose bleeding freely.

"Please," Ochako begs. "Let her go! She isn't involved in any of this!"

" _Everyone_ is involved, my dearest," Himiko whispers, a dark promise in her voice.

"I'll go! I'll go with you if you just let her be!"

"You will walk out of here without complaint and you will finish what you started. No running away. No more bargains." Dabi's voice is deep and raspy. He picks up Tsuyu and tosses her body over the booth's counter. She wouldn't be seen from the main drag of the arena and Ochako worries that it would be some time before she was found and could receive help.

There is nothing to be done, however, as Himiko releases her. She lets Ochako stand, but holds a dagger- poisoned, no doubt- to her back discreetly as they walk out of the arena. Himiko giggles the entire way.

WHERE THERE'S SMOKE - IGNITION

Katsuki and Eijirou watch the preliminary bouts, but the team battling is not very exciting yet. It's been quite a long time since Ochako and Tsuyu separated from them to get food. With each passing minute, Eijirou seems to grow more antsy. He fidgets in his seat, standing then sitting as the teams change out on the field below.

"Hasn't it been more than enough time to get a few pieces of fruit?" he complains.

Katsuki shields his eyes, gaging how far the sun has moved over the arena. A hour or so certainly seemed too much.

"Maybe they got sidetracked by some stupid girl thing?" Katsuki guesses. Eijirou lets out a groan of frustration and stands again, this time seeming set on finding their companions. Katsuki starts at the notion that he now considers them 'companions' and not just the random people they'd been a month ago. But again it _was_ a month of near constant time spent with at least one of them. Dare he say it, but he actually mostly enjoyed their time together, even if Eijirou was an idiot, Tsuyu a thief, and Ochako damn annoying and secretive.

The wyvern rider just gets past him in their row, stomping towards the aisle when Tsuyu staggers towards them, clutching her head. Her clothes are dirty and her normally neat hair is in disarray. Most concerningly, she is alone and bleeding. The redhead immediately starts fussing over her, checking the gash on her face and the lump on her head. She just pushes him aside, even as she nearly loses balance.

"They took her! They snuck up on us and took her!" she cries. "Ocha- Uraraka is gone!"

Katsuki snaps to attention at the slip of the tongue. Eijirou gathers Tsuyu in his arms despite her protests.

"Bakugou, I'm taking Tsuyu to the medical tent. You start looking for Uraraka!" he orders. "We'll find you afterwards and search, too!"

Katsuki moves before he even finishes, fingers reaching back to graze Hauza, the heat assuring him he was armed. He may not have expected to make comrades on his journey, but now that he had them, he would protect them.

WHERE THERE'S SMOKE - IGNITION

"You thought you could get away from the Fang?" Himiko hisses at Ochako. "Unfortunately, I can't do the job alone and I need you and your _filthy_ magic to finish our work."

Ochako tries to keep her steps steady and even as they walk through the forest outside Ostia. Dabi walks ahead and she has no doubt that they are headed to a Warp seal that the pair had set up in preparation. She weighs her chances of escape, but things look bleak. Himiko and Dabi are both powerful mages in their own right and dark magic definitely trumped her anima.

But she promised herself she would not go back.

They pass through a clearing with a single tree near the middle. Ochako is reminded of the tree she sat under with Bakugou yesterday. How close she had gotten to telling him the truth, but this inability to trust, this doubt she still had, it had set her up for failure the moment the Black Fang decided to make their move.

Dabi kneels and activates the seal hidden in the taller grasses on the outskirts of the clearing. He stands and turns only his head back to address Ochako. The glow of magic lights his face, strange shadows crossing over his scarring and making his glowing gold eyes even eerier. "You will cooperate, or we will make a _housecall_ to your new friends."

Himiko leans into Ochako from behind, chin digging into her shoulder, dagger still poised at the small of her back. "I might want to make a housecall anyway, since one of them is that young, handsome Katsuki of Aquleia! I'd _love_ to suck up his life force; he looks downright delicious," she giggles into Ochako's ear. "As a woman, you know what I mean, don't you?"

Ochako doesn't dare breathe. "Aqule- ...what… who?"

WHERE THERE'S SMOKE - IGNITION

* * *

 **Scene 2 - Match Strike**

Katsuki tears through the arena's fairway, crashing into people and cursing up a storm. He's knocked into several vendors' stalls already, the thin wood posts rattling and their owners screaming at him. He's already tried asking a few people if they've seen a girl with Ochako's description. Apparently no one has seen a 'stupid girl with a round angelface' OR a 'dumb mage chick with poofy hair and red cheeks.'

Not that he had waited for a response anyway.

He looks up at the darkening sky as the sun sets and night approaches. The arena is glowing, the main event ready to start, but Katsuki turns his eyes away from the temptation of the fighting about to begin. They scan over what he can see of the city, the little lanterns and lights of the buildings starting to flicker in the windows. Nothing appears abnormal. He rakes a hand through his hair in frustration, pulling his fingers down his face harshly. When he exhales and opens his eyes, he is turned towards the large field he had sat in yesterday with Ochako, the few trees in it getting denser at the edge of the forest.

It is there, against the darkening sky, that Katsuki sees a lone curl of smoke, twisting its way above the forest.

It's a bit hard to tell, but he's pretty sure the smoke is not a random campfire, given the location and amount rising up in the air. His gut tells him Ochako is the culprit with her weird fire magic, so he takes off for the forest's edge, bowling over any in his path.

"Dammit, she's gonna burn down the forest!"

WHERE THERE'S SMOKE - IGNITION

"We're going to miss our seal, Himiko," Dabi sighs. His expression, even through the scarring and burns, is bored yet exasperated. He almost seems as though he is a very put-on servant with an unruly noble child to look after. He crosses his arms and Ochako has no idea how eyes that glow gold could look so flat.

Her ill-advised attempt to escape and resist has backfired. She had managed to get away from Himiko's knife in the initial moments, but she knew it was a short lived victory. She is exhausted, burns from the fire magic she'd used wreaking havoc on her skin. She has used so much that she can feel the burn lines twining all the way up her arms and stretching out onto her upper back and neck. Worse than that, she's used some dark magic, too, which makes her ache bone-deep. Ochako huffs and tries to slice Himiko in half with wind as the deranged dark mage rushes her, one hand brandishing the knife and the other a miasma of dark energy. The woman dodges it deftly, solidifying in Ochako's mind that this really is her last fight.

Ochako trips on a root during her retreat and the result is costly. The bite of the knife twisting into her side is harsh and hot. A sudden roiling of nausea and the throbbing of the wound tell her there was more to the stab wound than just a blade. Himiko's cackling sounds far away suddenly and even the characteristic buzzing of the dark magic in her hand fades away. Ochako is thrown from her feet into a tree when the energy collides with her stomach. In an instant, Himiko hovers over her, twirling the blade in her fingers and licking her lips.

"Y'know, you're such a naughty girl, Ochako…" Himiko hums. She drags the blade softly across Ochako's cheek, making her flinch at the shallow cut. "But then again-" the knife embeds itself into the bark next to her neck. "-I think I can make this work without your cooperation."

"Whatever you're going to do, make it fast, woman," Dabi calls over to them, still standing lazily on the edge of the seal. "We've got a timeline."

"Can it, you cut rate imitation!" Himiko snaps. Lifting her hand, a purple hue glows as she places it over Ochako's heart. The pain from Ochako's fire spells is nothing compared to the wrenching agony of whatever magic Himiko employs on her now. The witch pulls a vial out and catches a few drops of blood from Ochako's cheek. "Oh, my sweet girl, my darling Zephyr, don't you see?"

Himiko leans in and Ochako tries to open her eyes when the woman's breath scorches her face. She's sweating and her heartbeat is rapid, every nerve firing flight responses at her, but not a muscle responding. "I can remake you. With this blood and your very quintessence, I will make you again."

Dabi's voice rings out again, but Ochako can't tell what he says. She is losing consciousness fast. Himiko stands over her and the cool evening air doesn't help alleviate the pain and hot flush of poison in her system.

"You will be reborn and serve your purpose," Himiko croons, leaning over to stroke her face. Then she digs a nail into the scratch on Ochako's face. "So die knowing that you've helped us end everything as you were always meant to."

Ochako knows nothing but a flash of magic and the dark of night after that.

WHERE THERE'S SMOKE - IGNITION

The acrid stench of spellfire reaches Katsuki's nose within the first few feet into the forest. It's more than wood burning. His feet pound harder against the ground, legs pushing towards the source. A whoosh and gust of air nearly knocks him off course and he sees Kouka darting around trees next to him as he runs. Normally, she would have tried to take a chunk of flesh out of him with her sharp teeth, but there is nary a hiss from her. Something tells Katsuki they have a temporary truce right now, that she knows something is wrong and he needs her speed.

He reaches out to grab onto the harness, but Kouka dodges his hand. With a great flap of her wings, she falls a few paces behind him and grabs him by the shoulders. The claws dig into him painfully and Katsuki is glad he's wearing his recent purchase: a thick black leather jacket. The giant lizard pulls them into the air above the trees, not caring enough to keep him from hitting branches on the way up. He covers his face as best he can and when they emerge, he screams at the wyvern.

"You asshole dragon!"

Kouka does a roll and tosses him into the air, only to catch him by the leg this time. He continues cursing her back to the dawn of the dragons' age, but she just guns it for the pillar of smoke. The fighter is dropped unceremoniously into the tiny clearing, coughing and choking on the smoke and the wind that's expelled from his lungs on impact with the ground. When he gets his bearings, he can only take it in, shocked.

The grass in the clearing and the surrounding parts of the forest is burnt and decaying, like fire was not the only culprit. Katsuki runs a hand along a scorch on the ground and recoils from it. Dark magic. Kouka lands next to him and nudges him none too gently. He trips forward and that's when she comes into view. Ochako is sprawled on the ground, unconscious and propped awkwardly against a tree. She's bleeding from multiple wounds, the most concerning of which is the dark spot on her side he makes out in the moonlight.

She's so still he believes for a split second she's dead, lips white and blue. He approaches anyway, checking her over to find other wounds, if she had broken bones. He breathes in relief to find her still breathing. Katsuki finds he doesn't have any vulneraries on him and her hip pouch has been removed from her person. It is an attempt by her attackers to make it look like she was just robbed and left for dead, but Katsuki knows better from Tsuyu's description. Ochako had been targeted specifically.

When he lifts her from the ground, he does so carefully, trying to keep her still. His hand clasps and presses harshly against her wound with a wad of her tattered cloak. She doesn't flinch and his expression grows grim. The dirt beneath her- for all the grass that may have been there is now shriveled and dead- is stained in blood and he bites back the bile at the appalling image.

Katsuki turns to Kouka, the mage girl limp, cold and fading in his arms. "I know we've got beef, dragon, but…"

The wyvern stares at him only a moment before lowering herself so he can clamber on without needing his hands. On the flight back to the inn, Katsuki lets Kouka navigate. He is more concerned with trying to wake Ochako. The angry red lines on her arms are back, but this time are mixed with a sickly purple; he can even see some on her neck. She's clammy and her clothes are shredded.

"C'mon, Angelface, don't you dare die," he says harshly. "We didn't get to finish our fight, you dumb mage girl. Your round face is so damn annoying and what the hell am I supposed to say to those two idiots if you don't greet them with that too wide grin?" He shakes her a little and her head falls to the side, exposing more lines and putting her into the moonlight. She's _so pale_ and he hates that she looks as fragile as he'd first assumed her to be. "The thief's gonna cry, Ochako, and that redhead is gonna try to beat the crap out of me, Ochako. Aren't I not supposed to call you that?! Huh, Ochako?!" He tucks her closer when she doesn't answer.

Kouka speeds up.

WHERE THERE'S SMOKE - IGNITION

The street is nearly empty, but the few who are out and not at the tournament scatter quickly when Kouka swoops low over the cobblestone. She's barely there long enough for anyone to realize what's going on. Most only register a dark shape and a strong gale of wind then a man appearing from nowhere with a girl bundled in his arms.

Katsuki ducks quickly into the inn, promising himself he'd hunt something down for the great lizard. Ochako feels featherlight in his arms and he hopes that there are still some elixirs in Eijirou's bag from earlier and some blood still left in Ochako's body. He damn near kicks the door down to their group's room. Tsuyu is inside, propped up against the wall on the bed. Eijirou is sitting at her side, but stands immediately.

"Man, your hands-!" he exclaims, but Tsuyu's cries overpower him.

"Oh my goodness, Uraraka!" she gasps, tears welling rapidly. Katsuki moves towards them as Tsuyu scrambles to the side of the bed to give him space to set her down.

When he does, Katsuki notices his hands are _glowing_. The cuts and bruises where they'd been on Ochako have receded and the stab wound has stopped bleeding. The white glow flickers and his vision blurs for a moment. He feels weak in the knees and light-headed, swaying over Ochako on the bed. The moment passes, but his hands are normal now. The room is silent, until Eijirou explodes with questions.

"What _was_ that? I've never seen you do magic before! Have you always-"

"Shut up and get some salves or something, dammit!" Katsuki snaps. He growls, curling his hands into fists. " _Dammit!_ "

To his credit, the redhead dashes for his pack, pushing Tsuyu back down next to Ochako on his way. Clearly, he didn't want the little thief to strain herself further. Salves handed to him, Katsuki starts applying them to her exposed skin, whatever he can see. In the light of the lamp in their room, he can see at least one missing piece of the puzzle to Ochako's condition. The skin around her stab wound is whitened and mottled with blue, a purple-ish residue rimming the injury. She needs an antidote.

Tsuyu sees it when he does and pushes past Eijirou to dig through her own bag. She fumbles with it, nearly tossing it to him. Katsuki uncorks it with his teeth and applies it to the wound. For good measure, he grabs the skin of water on the side table which was probably Tsuyu's and pours a bit of the antitoxin into it. Thumb over the opening, he shakes it hard with one hand while tilting Ochako up with the other. Tsuyu slips a pillow beneath her back and pinches her nose so Katsuki only had to support her head as he tips the hastily made remedy down her throat.

"I'm going to draw some water, Eiji, so prep some bandages," Tsuyu orders, walking to the door.

"But Tsu-" he protests.

"No, Eiji, this is important," she says. The fire in her eyes convinces him to shut up. "Bakugou can watch her condition, I will get clean water to wash her wounds out and you will prep the bandages. We have to stop any infection from making this worse for her."

She disappears as soon as her shoes were on and Eijirou's shock at her vehemence is cut short when Ochako convulses on the bed. Color is starting to return to her face from the antitoxin and his inadvertent healing session, but the poison is still affecting her. Bakugou moves to hold her down as she starts thrashing, her body's nervous system triggered by the salves and poison combating each other. Then she's heaving and he has the sense to turn her onto her side. She throws up onto the floor at his feet and stops convulsing, but doesn't wake.

"Uh, Bakugou," Eijirou starts, grabbing a rag he usually cleans Kouka's harness with to mop up the vomit. "What was with the glowy hand thing?"

"Now's not the time for that," Bakugou bites out. "Ochako is still 'bout ready to keel over so stuff it unless you've got something to say that will actually help."

Eijirou recoils a little, but returns to the task of cleaning up the vomit, tossing the rag into a bucket provided by the inn for carrying water. He wonders briefly what Tsuyu will bring the water up in. More than that, though, he wonders why everyone is calling Uraraka 'Ochako'. As he's about to ask, Tsuyu comes back in, carrying two buckets of water that are certainly not theirs. She seems to have had the life blown back into her, all determination and authority instead of the fear and panic from her attack.

"Get out so I can clean out her wounds and figure out if we'll need more vulneraries or antitoxin when the shops open up in the morning," she directs. Tsuyu pushes the bucket with the bile-soaked rag into Eijirou's chest as she shoos them from the room. They can be useful and wash it out, she says, and be prepared with more clean water.

The streets are dark fully now and not a room on the floor still has a light on except theirs. The moon is still giving though, the beams hitting them through the window at the end of the hall. Eijirou goes to clean the rag and fill the bucket while Bakugou sits outside the door, on watch. When he returns, he sees the blond man still hasn't noticed that his hands, arms and shirt are coated and crusting with Uraraka's blood.

"Hey," he calls out, tossing the clean and damp rag at the man. "You should clean up."

Bakugou easily catches the cloth and the small rivulets of watered down blood catch his attention finally. Putting the rag on his knee, he tugs his jacket and shirt off. He starts wiping the grime and blood off in silence, only cupping more water out of the bucket a few times once his hands were clean.

"So… Uraraka is actually named Ochako?" Eijirou asks, sliding down to sit by the hot-headed fighter. The blond doesn't look up.

"None of your fucking business."

"Not my- but it is yours, eh?" he presses. Red eyes glare at him, but Eijirou's gotten used to that by now. "Fine. What about your hands? The glowing?"

Bakugou stops, holding his hands palm up and spreading his fingers. The rag hangs loosely from the crook of his arm. He stays this way for several minutes until he finally speaks.

"I think it's… but I've only seen it once before," Bakugou mutters, eyes tracing over every inch of his hands as though they'd reveal their secrets under the pressure. One hand drops and covers his side. "Healtouch."

When Bakugou moves his hand again, Eijirou can see an old scar, faded, right below his ribs. "Who'd you learn it from?"

"You don't learn it," he says, leaning back against the wall. The rag is forgotten and Eijirou thinks that Bakugou looks older, wearier, as he continues. "You inherit it."

"So your parents…"

"My mother." Bakugou turns his head just enough to watch the light flicker underneath the door from Tsuyu moving around. "I didn't know I had it."

The door creaks and Tsuyu sticks her head out. "I'm done. She's sleeping." She sounds deflated, like all the energy she had summoned to help her friend has been sapped away.

Eijirou gets up, but Bakugou remains. "I'll keep watch. We don't know if they'll be back."

The door closes behind Eijirou and Katsuki takes a deep breath, holds it, then pushes it out slowly. His chest feels tight and he traces over the scar on his side once more. When the door opens again, he isn't expecting it. Tsuyu holds out a fresh shirt from his bag and Hauza, carefully holding it by the straps of its harness so as not to touch the metal. He can only hum in appreciation before shifting to put the shirt on and hold Hauza, warm and familiar. The light from under the door flickers a few more times before it goes out. He is left in darkness with only the moon for company.

WHERE THERE'S SMOKE - IGNITION

Ochako slips in and out of consciousness over the course of the next two days, never really coherent enough for Tsuyu to assess her condition. Still, she keeps redressing her wounds and applying the salves that Eijirou dutifully goes out to get during the daylight hours. Tsuyu constantly keeps the window in her peripheral vision, paranoid that their attackers may return. Now that she is not concussed, she had given a description of the pair as best she could to Eijirou and Bakugou. It isn't much to go on, but Tsuyu feels she would recognize them instantly no matter the situation.

A woman with a manic smile and spiky buns for a hairstyle and a man, probably a bit taller than Eijirou. Golden eyes.

She knows Eijirou's kept an eye out while going for supplies and checking on Kouka. The wyvern had taken him to the spot Bakugou had found Ochako in. She knows her friend is hiding how bad the damage there was from her, but doesn't press. Somehow it feels like knowing will make it worse, make it clearer how close they'd come to losing their new friend.

Though she hasn't brought it up, Tsuyu knows now that Ochako is Uraraka's real name. Those evil people had used it and she had responded instantly, had been terrified of it. And then, when she'd started to say it, it immediately got Bakugou's attention. She surmised that the man knew it as well and wondered at how he'd known, why he'd kept it a secret.

Why Ochako had felt like she needed to keep her identity secret.

Eijirou walks in, disturbing her thoughts and vigil over Ochako. He is still talking to Bakugou who continues to sit outside the door, much to the inn keeper's chagrin. Apparently, he was scaring the customers. Tsuyu doesn't mind much, since it means they are less likely to be disturbed.

"He still won't take a break. I swear he isn't sleeping," Eijirou complains, tossing an apple her way. She takes a dainty bite, not really hungry. "I barely got him to take an apple, much less half a loaf of bread today."

"We still don't know him that well, Eiji," she replies softly. "Maybe something happened to him like this before and it brought up bad memories. Maybe… maybe there are lots of things we don't know."

Her gaze falls on the mage girl sleeping on the bed. While physically out of danger, the continued sleep and lack of food was wasting her away. They could force-feed her water, but anything other than broth wouldn't work without her being awake. If she didn't wake soon, she would be in trouble again.

Eijirou drags his stool over next to Tsuyu and takes her hand. She squeezes it.

WHERE THERE'S SMOKE - IGNITION

Once again, Katsuki finds his mind in overdrive. He's barely slept, too, which doesn't help him sort his thoughts. Between Ochako's attack, her tattoo, the aftermath of the magic duel he'd found, the Healtouch ability, and the description of the attackers, his head reels. She's finally stable, which he is grateful for. He isn't sure what his reaction would be if he had found her alive and she had died before reaching someone who could help. Then again, apparently, he _could_ help. He never expected to have his mother's skill. Never before had he shown any real affinity to use magic, only magic imbued weaponry, or specifically, Hauza.

It certainly helped explain his innate disgust with the battle scene. Katsuki already has a low opinion of dark mages, but it was his first time seeing the devastation that dark magic could have on nature. The scorches on the ground were a mix of fire and dark magic. He had touched one and instantly known it was dark, instantly recoiled. Even recalling the memory has his stomach rolling. The fallout of the magic duel was awesome to see and it makes Katsuki wonder what the extent of both Ochako's and her attackers' powers are.

He is certain he has met people with the description Tsuyu had provided. The 'gold eyes' in particular strike a chord in him. The only problem is he can't remember when or where. He is definitely frayed around the edges, but he is just too exhausted to do anything about it.

Scrubbing a hand through his hair, he stands and stretches. His backside is sore from sitting on the floor and he thinks during the day at least, maybe he can get a nap in. Eijirou is back afterall and Tsuyu had proven herself to be at the least observant and wary. When he walks into the room, locking it behind him, Tsuyu immediately asks about his health. He's so tired he waves her off, only half-heartedly getting mad. Eijirou seems to want to bring up his 'glow-y hands' again.

As he steps around the bed, unclipping Hauza's harness from his back, Ochako shoots up in bed. Katsuki has half a second to throw the axe up in front of her as a fire spell flies from her fingertips at Tsuyu. The golden axe absorbs the blow easily, glimmering and ready to cut down the next thing it touches. The room is tense. Katuski can see the battle haze lift from Ochako's eyes as she follows the line of his arm to his face. She relaxes and nearly falls back to the bed, if Katsuki's arm didn't catch her. Her head lolls back against the crook of his arm as if it was the easiest place to rest.

She's still awake, even if exhausted from the single burst of magic and rush of adrenaline. Tsuyu unroots her feet from the ground and comes forward.

"You have been out for over two days. We've been worried sick," Tsuyu says. She takes Ochako's hand and Katsuki slips Hauza back into its harness, still cradling Ochako's head.

"Yeah, it was awful, what happened! Tsuyu told us what she could about who attacked you both," Eijirou interjects. "But really, it was Bakugou that saved you. He found you in the forest and managed to bring you here."

"Forget that. Who attacked you? How do you know them?" Katsuki presses, unconsciously pulling her closer. "Their golden eyes… who was that?"

Ochako meets his eyes and the look in them betrays fear, possibly disgust. She recoils hard, flinching as she slips from his hold and stretches newly healed skin. She backs up until she hits the wall the bed is pushed against. Her silence and action only incense Katsuki, however.

"What is going on, Ochako?! Who are they? Why did they attack _you,_ Ochako? Why did you kill that commander back at the fort?" Everything starts boiling over and Katsuki swears he sees red. "How can you cast without a tome, _Ochako_?! What is that black tattoo you keep hiding and why does fire magic pain you to cast it, huh, Ochako?!"

Her brown eyes are wide and flicking around, trying not to meet his, trying to find a way out. His final threads are snapping like the strings on an old lyre.

"How can you use wind magic so easily? What are those lines that appear on your arms? Why did you hide your identity, _Ochako_?" he yells, running out of breath. Ochako bares her teeth at him, looking as much like a cornered cat as possible. Just when he thinks she is about to answer or at least insult him, Tsuyu breaks the tension.

"Is Ochako really your name?" Her quiet voice is a little tremulous.

"Hah, someone like her is just a liar. Probably can't trust anything she's said to us," Katsuki seethes. He is so tired of the secrets and mysteries. All he wants is for her to answer and explain.

"And what would a true blooded Aquleian know about someone like me?" Ochako spits. Katsuki's eyes narrow.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. Hah, if I'm a liar, it goes double for you," she says, voice pouring more vitriol than when he first asked about her name. "I know who you are, _Katsuki, son of the Burning General_. In my mind, you're just as horrid as the Black Fang."

Tsuyu gasps at the mention of the organization and Eijirou splutters over the revelation. Katsuki takes a step back in shock and confusion. Then, he digs his feet in. "Who told you that? How long have you known?"

"You don't even try to deny it? I should have known better than to ever trust you," she says, giggling a little hysterically. "The Fang appearing everywhere you did… you sold me out!"

"Wait- I didn't- I don't know what the hell you're talking about!"

Somehow now he is on the retreat and she advances, murderous intent in her eyes. He can feel the air pressure changing and it raises gooseflesh on the back of his neck. "Don't play coy, Katsuki, you know about the Fang. You know exactly what they've been doing in Dia!"

His brain is getting whiplash. "Dia-?"

"Etrurians always lie to get their way," she says. Ochako is standing now on shaky knees, but her chin tilts up in defiance. Katsuki tries to stand tall, hoping his height advantage on her will help him maintain composure and control. "Do you even understand what your people have done to mine? What they're _still_ doing?"

She pushes him then and, to Katsuki, it's as though everything else in the room has faded from view. Ochako is terrifying in her rage, hair starting to float and hands starting to lift towards him. "They're abusing the Anima, raping our isles of ore and resources, tainting it with dark magic!"

"Dia is free now-"

"No, Dia was never free. The so-called governors and marquesses in charge are still under Etruria's thumb. The freedom we sought was a lie and now we're under the Black Fang's knife," Ochako cries. There are tears welling in her eyes. "We are no army, just people who know the earth and sea, not how to wage war. We didn't- didn't ask for this, to have these outsiders attack us, force us to use our connection to the Anima this way!"

Her strength finally gives out then. She falls to her knees at his feet, deflated and exhausted. Ochako's face is splotchy and tear stricken. Katsuki is stuck, not knowing how to process all he had been told. The overload of information only adds to the migraine he has labeled 'Ochako'. Eijirou and Tsuyu stare at him until Tsuyu shakes herself and moves to Ochako. She hugs the other girl tightly as she dares.

Katsuki can only look at her, still weak from her ordeal and now emotionally wrecked. Ochako avoids his eye. He cannot deal with this here, not right now. He grabs his pack and jacket, Hauza clenched in his fist, storming for the door. Eijirou follows him, grabbing his elbow at the moment he turned into the hall.

"Just let her have some time to calm down. I don't really get it yet, but… just, don't do anything rash, okay?" the wyvern rider pleads. Katsuki knows that while he is utterly confused, the two from Bern are probably moreso. "We can talk about it later and figure everything out."

Katsuki needs time to process the information, to compare it against what he knew of his homeland before he left. He walks away, unsure why everything feels so heavy.

WHERE THERE'S SMOKE - IGNITION

* * *

 **Scene 3 - Ignition**

Katsuki pushes past the underbrush, haphazardly swinging his axe at thicker brambles and branches in his way. It takes out a little of his ire and frustration, but not nearly enough for him to calm down. The forest is filled with the normal level of noise from the wind, birds and smaller animals scuttling out of his way. Somehow this bothers him more than if it had been eerily silent.

The noises distract him from his thoughts just enough to keep him from hacking down a tree and screaming into the too bright and cheery blue sky above. Well, they distract him until he finds himself in a familiar clearing and the remaining stench of dark magic chokes his latest frustrated huff.

Ochako's battle ground is still infected with traces of dark magic, even days on. Katsuki knows if he looks to his left, he'll see the dead grass in the location she had laid in. She had been so close to death's door and he had been desperate to stop the swing of the ethereal scythe from taking her. She became important to him over the past few months, despite how much he's tried to ignore it. The other two are also important to him now, friends possibly.

But Ochako had dug herself much deeper. The mysteries around her, the fire in her eyes, the sheer power and way she handled magic that he's seen in so few people over the course of his life, all of it made him want to know her, to fight at her side. And yet, he now finds himself the source of her despair and an object of her hate.

Katsuki is used to being a disappointment to the nobility, to being labeled selfish, arrogant, and insensitive by commoners. Nothing has thrown him more than Ochako's accusations.

Dia… The series of isles off the western coast of his homeland Etruria were liberated one hundred years ago, or so he thought. Etruria at the time was a militant state, an army of mage knights breaking from the Lycian League and ruling their smaller provinces like Dia with an iron fist. There's no denying that Etruria took advantage of the resources found in the Western Isles and he knew from his history lessons that they were rife with more than value ore and crystals for fashioning weaponry.

The southernmost island in the archipelago was the Dread Isle, after all.

Best known for being cursed, Katsuki's history books showed that it was much more than a place with rough waters, deep fog, and a litany of broken and destroyed ships in its harbors. From the time of the Scouring, it was a nexus of dark magic with conflicting accounts of what an ancient temple known as The Dragon's Gate was used for. The most popular theory, of course, was a crack in the fabric of the world, leading to a land where the fearsome dragons of old dominated. There were even stories about how the Gate was nearly opened just before the Hero-King Roy was born and reunited Etruria with the rest of Lycia.

No, the Western Isles absolutely were rife with magicks of all kinds, just like the mainland of Etruria had been in the time of the Scouring. It was the entire reason that Etrurian mages were considered so powerful and sought after. The Anima, as Ochako had called it, wasn't entirely foreign to him, though it was never personified in his education as she treated it.

But what could Etruria's continued subjugation of Dia, and likely, the rest of the Western Isles, have to do with the resurgence of the Black Fang?

WHERE THERE'S SMOKE - IGNITION

"I'm sorry." Ochako's voice is subdued. When she looks up, Tsuyu softens her gaze on the other girl. The brunette's eyes are filled with misery and nerves. "I'm so sorry I got you both mixed up in this."

"Aw, don't worry about it!" Eijirou says, waving her apologies away. "You're our friend, so that means we'll stick with ya through it all."

The easy way his words clear even a little of Ochako's worries from her face warms Tsuyu's heart. It's one of her favorite things about him. Taking the mage's hand slowly, gently, Tsuyu coaxes Ochako to speak, to tell them what she can.

"We want to understand, Ochako." She looks up from their hands held together, deep green eyes wide with compassion. "We want to help."

Tsuyu can feel Eijirou move to stand behind her, a silent show of support and agreement.

"I… I'm from Dia, as you probably know now… I got away from- from the Black Fang," Ochako stumbles over the words, still picking through what she wants to say, what she wants to share. Tsuyu will take what she can get and be patient for the rest. "They wanted me for… my magic."

"Does this have to do with the Anima you mentioned before?"

"...yes."

Ochako doesn't say anything after that and Tsuyu decides to change tracks. "And Etruria is aiding them?"

A nod as Ochako's lips press into a thin line.

Eijirou cuts in again, "Is Bakugou really the son of the Burning General?"

"I think so," Ochako vacillates, "I can't be certain but… well, Himiko lies all the time." The girl's usually rosy cheeks flush further in shame. Tsuyu wants to think that Ochako would rather believe Bakugou over Himiko, but clearly there is more history there than she can see.

"If Bakugou was.. Katsuki of Aquleia… would it change your opinion of him? How you see him?" Tsuyu prods, voice quiet.

Ochako turns to stare out the window of their small room at the inn. She can't answer.

WHERE THERE'S SMOKE - IGNITION

The mark on her arm had to be from the Black Fang. It was likely some kind of seal, bastardized for use on a person instead of on an object like the sigils carved into a Runesword or Warp staff. The Black Fang is an old organization, a former giant in the underground world of Elibe, taking out targets for any price.

It bothers Katsuki that Etruria and the Black Fang are linked now. Even if he was not home anymore, he knows who would be the implicated parties in his homeland's government; no one had more military authority than the Burning General. The marquess of Etruria was little more than a figurehead to his highest military officer and everyone knew it. So if anyone was calling the shots and allowing this newly coalesced Black Fang to thrive in the shadows once more, it was her.

Mother.

Hauza glints in the light from between the trees where it lies before him. He can feel an itch in his hand to hold it just from looking at it. He certainly has been using it much more frequently since running into Ochako, Eijirou and Tsuyu in Araphen. He barely touched the axe more than to strap it onto his back since he left Aquleia years ago. It truly is an extension of his arm, but its weight is heavier than the mage steel it is made of.

It represents his inheritance to a line of powerful mages and warriors, his birthright to the militant ruling class of Etruria. Even more than the blond hair and red eyes like his mother's, his ability to wield the arcane axe locks his path in stone. He's been trying so hard to break away from the life laid before him since before he was born, but Hauza's responsiveness to him and only him as well as his newfound ability to use Healtouch show just how inescapable that life may be. He cannot escape what he is.

But, he thinks, rising to his feet and giving into the itch to have Hauza in his hand, he can choose how he uses those abilities born to him.

WHERE THERE'S SMOKE - IGNITION

Eijirou's arms are folded tightly over his chest, frown prominent on his face. "I don't like this, y'know."

"Oh relax, Eiji, we're going to hit the bath house and get a few more supplies," Tsuyu says and she bustles Ochako into her cloak on their way to the door. "Pack up the rest of our stuff and find Kouka. We should leave Ostia soon, but I want to make sure Ochako's wound is closed properly and cleaned. We could do with some more vulneraries and antitoxins as it stands."

The reminder that she is the cause for their supply depletion and forcing them to keep moving, always moving, gives Ochako pause. She's got no idea when Himiko and Dabi will return for her, if they even believe she is still alive. Himiko would know, Ochako rues. The mark on her arm will do its job and remind the dark mage her quarry still has magic, still has quintessence. The circle of tightly drawn black runes on her bicep feels like a shackle, the ball and chain heavy and dragging behind her.

Ochako fidgets, playing with the edges of her cloak, wishing she'd picked a more discreet color than the deep burgundy she had. She tries not to think of the pair of eyes that inspired that decision over her common sense. A green cloak or brown would make it easier to hide, easier to disappear and allow her friends to live without her pursuers over their heads.

The last thing she wants is for one of them to end up dead because of her.

The words start to twist their way out of her throat, to leave her, to ignore her, to let her run, as the images of Tsuyu bleeding into the floor, unconscious, return to her mind. A shout from the throng in the marketplace distracts her and the cavalier and pegasus knight from the first days of her adventures with Tsuyu, Eijirou and Bakugou wave in their direction. She barely pays attention as Tsuyu exchanges pleasantries with the pair.

Eyes sweeping the crowds nervously for Himiko's pigtails or Dabi's tall silhouette, Ochako chews on her lip. The flash of gold to her right from someone exchanging coin for some bread unnerves her. The girls giggling as they rush past her remind her too much of a dark cackle. A gentle tug on her elbow draws her focus back to the conversation.

"..okay, Miss Uraraka?" Izuku the cavalier asks, voice cracking a little and making him flush.

"Huh?" She looks between her three companions, trying to catch back up to what they were talking about. The only clue she has is that Izuku calls her 'Uraraka', meaning Tsuyu hasn't told them what a danger she is to them all.

"I asked if you were feeling alright," he says kindly. "You look a bit pale."

"She was ill a few nights ago," Tsuyu deflects for her. "We were headed to the apothecary once more and the bath house today to rest up."

"An excellent idea!" the pegasus knight proclaims, pushing up his glasses. "Where are your other companions? Hopefully, they didn't leave you two maidens on your own in such a big city!"

Tsuyu explains where Eijirou is, but trails off after that, leaving it open-ended about Katsuki. Ochako gives her a wane smile, hoping that the knightly pair won't notice. She knows there is no such luck when Tenya opens his mouth again.

"I sure hope that blond ruffian hasn't been causing you any trouble," he says. "Why, if he wasn't so rude-" Izuku puts a firm hand on his friend, trying to stem his tirade before he really got going. Ochako is almost grateful for the nervous looking boy's efforts, until he turns back to her.

"You mentioned Mister Eijirou, but is Mister Bakugou no longer traveling with you?" he asks quietly. "He didn't… seem like the type to travel with… friends?"

Ochako sways a little, gripping onto Tsuyu who still holds her elbow lightly. Her mind is swirling with thoughts and memories, trying to reconcile the answer to the question Tsuyu had posed that morning. Would she think differently of him if he really was Katsuki of Aquleia?

"Um, either way… that isn't why we're here," Izuku stumbles on, uncomfortable with how pale Ochako is sure she looks. She can feel the blood draining from her face, the warm tingle spreading from her forehead and leaking down her neck. The beginnings of a panic attack, something she had rarely had since the first few weeks of her escape from Himiko's clutches.

"That's right, my dear compatriot! We're here because we've been tracking the Black Fang!" Tenya exclaims, much too loud for her. "And how mysterious that we should run into you all once again."

Each word makes the knife of guilt twist harder in Ochako's stomach. Further confirmation that the Black Fang was growing bolder, stronger, and still after her only made everything worse. "I'm j-just a magnet-" she crumples to the street, nearly pulling Tsuyu off her feet, too- "-for bad luck."

Tsuyu hovers over her; Ochako feels faint. The two boys are talking, but it is the small thief's voice that Ochako focuses on. "I think you both ought to come with us."

WHERE THERE'S SMOKE - IGNITION

The lights are softly glowing from the inn window when Katsuki finally makes his way back inside the walled city. He still isn't sure if this is right, if he really wants to go back to them. He thinks of Ochako's words and angry tears and stares down at the golden axe still in his hand. He's nearly there, ready to offer her any aid she wants. To tell all of himself, truly become an ally. He just needs to know if she will still trust him after she knows.

When he gets to the door of their shared room, Katsuki can hear voices. Male voices. He recognizes the squeaky apologies and affirmations of that scrawny cavalier and clenches a fist. The last thing he needed while trying to gain back Ochako's trust was two errant knight-wannabes. He's just about to turn around and pretend he never came back when Eijirou comes up behind him. The empty saddle indicates he just visited Kouka, that horrible lizard with wings. Before he can even attempt to pass the redhead, he grabs Katsuki's arm and gives him a look.

"C'mon…" he says, grip lax on his elbow. It would be easy to break out of and for a moment, Katsuki considers it. Holding back a groan, he lets Eijirou turn him around and follows the wyvern rider into the room.

The first thing he sees is Ochako, eyes connecting across the room immediately. Something twinges in his gut when those round brown eyes widen a touch with fear. Katsuki breaks eye contact, lifting a hand slightly in Tsuyu's direction when she speaks, but ignoring the motor mouth pegasus knight. Slumping into the wooden chair closest to the door and furthest from Ochako, he watches from beneath blond fringe as the pair of newcomers awkwardly return to their conversation.

"As I was saying… the victims all seem to have bizarre injuries and were attacked by one or more people with-"

"Golden eyes?" Tsuyu interjects, frowning. "We're… acquainted."

"If I may, was that the reason that Miss Uraraka was feeling faint today?" Tenya says, pushing up his glasses. Katsuki's eyes snap over to Ochako who indeed looks paler than usual. Still, it is an improvement to when she had been ill. All the bluster she had made this morning, angering him enough to leave, all of that energy seems to have fled her in the hours since. The black-haired man pays her no mind as he continues. "Because the worst victims seemed to have had the life simply sucked out of them, skin discolored and bodies shriveled."

"That's right," the cavalier cuts in, flipping through his notebook as if to remind himself of the details they had seen on each victim. "No source wound."

Ochako clutches her tunic's skirt tightly in her hands, reflexively releasing and gripping and repeating. Everyone's attention is on her now, but she isn't looking any of them in the face. She opens her mouth, a little noise eking out before she wets her lips, swallows and tries again. Katsuki leans forward as quietly as he can. The tension in the room is palpable and he wonders for a brief moment how she hasn't wilted under it when she's as waifish as she looks now.

"Their skin is discolored… shriveled… because their quintessence was taken," her voice shakes and Katsuki clenches the arms of the chair. "Quintessence is human… life force… when you're on the brink… of death."

The wood creaks under his grip. He knows this, he knows how close she was to dying. She had a puncture wound soaked with poison, but even that amount wasn't as bad as the magical damage she had sustained. The image of her ghostly pale face, lips tinted blue, the angry purple lines on her arms… was that what was done to her? Had they tried to take her quintessence?

"Where did you find this out?"

"What is the purpose of taking such energies?"

"How do they even harvest it?"

Ochako's voice is shaky and stuttering, small and barely loud enough to hear over the onslaught of questions from the knight duo. Tsuyu tries to protest, but even she is overshadowed by the duo's thirst for knowledge. The smaller one even has a notebook out, for Elimine's sake! In an instant, Katsuki is between them and their mage, Ochako hidden behind him as he places his bag roughly on the ground. The movement makes the pair step back. The small green one seems to come back to himself and flushes in shame. The taller one appears to be more stupid, though.

"Excuse me! What is your problem?"

"You. You're in my fucking space," Katsuki growls. "Leave."

The pegasus knight reddens in frustration. "And why should we have to listen to you?"

"Because," he sneers, casually leaning Hauza against the wooden bedpost and pushing a bit of power through it. The small curl of smoke catches both of the knights' attention. "I've got a fucking axe that will cut through you like butter and I haven't slept in three damn days."

Eijirou laughs nervously to the side of him, but Katsuki just maintains eye contact with the tall one. The redhead ushers the pair towards the door. "It's getting late, so let's, uh, talk over breakfast or something! Yeah, sleep sounds great right now, right?"

Tsuyu's back is turned to watch Eijirou so Katsuki steals a glance behind him at Ochako. For the first time since he walked in the room, she makes eye contact with someone. Her face is caught somewhere between thankful and distrust and when the door locks shut, her eyes break from his. Katsuki throws his jacket off and lays back on the floor mats he and Eijirou had been sleeping on. Turning on his side, away from her, he hears only soft murmuring from Tsuyu and Eijirou before the lights are doused.

WHERE THERE'S SMOKE - IGNITION

In the morning, Katsuki wakes at first light, staring at the slowly bleeding dawn. The first night of full sleep he's gotten since finding Ochako keeps him groggy, but the thoughts swirling in his head rouse him well enough. He still doesn't understand everything Ochako is talking about or going through, but if he can use his title that he hates for something that will help her and her people, it would be a good thing, probably. He could take up the mantle granted him in his own way, not bowing to the whims of others. He could make his homeland free of corruption and villainous intent. It was a long road ahead, but the first step is to promise Ochako protection and bring her case to his mother. He would make her answer for what was going on in Etruria, find the truth.

He drifts back to sleep under the warm morning rays to the sounds of the first merchants rolling out their wares on the cobblestone below. When Katsuki wakes again, it is to a feminine yelp. It's Tsuyu, hair mussed and sitting in the girls' bed alone, holding a note she reads aloud.

"I'm so sorry for the danger I've placed you all in. You've been truly wonderful, my only true friends in such a long time. I'm grateful for all you've done for me when you easily could have left me to die. You've been brave and loyal, more than I deserve. For as happy as I was with you all, I must do what I can to relieve you of my burdens and resolve this one way or another, on my own. Thank you again, sincerely, Ochako."

Ochako is gone.

Katsuki stews as the rest he'd gotten helps his brain work overtime, cross-legged on the floor mat beneath the window. Behind him, Eijirou tries to comfort a crying Tsuyu. A knock on the door, sharp and in time with the church bells down the street chiming eight. The blue and green knights stand outside the door, instantly honing in on the sobbing thief and lack of mage girl in the room. The tall one opens his mouth, but before he can get a single asinine question out of his mouth or the short one can make some kind of promise, Katsuki rises and cuts them all off.

"Pack your shit. We're going to find Angelface and fix this."

"What?" "How?"

"I think I know where she's going. We're going to break down the door of the Black Fang."

The pegasus knight steps forward. "From what we've gathered, this new Black Fang has serious connections with several high-ranking lords and bishops across Elibe. If there's a true political power such as Etruria or Bern behind their actions, if their corruption really seeps all the way into the upper echelon, then what do you think you can do, Bakugou?"

"Whatever I want because I'm fucking Katsuki of Aquleia, son of the Burning General, head of the Magic Guard of Etruria." Hauza heats in his hand when he picks it up. "You shit heads have two minutes to get ready."

 **WHERE THERE'S SMOKE - BURN**

Ochako - Mage

\- Secondary class: Dark Mage

\- Skills: Focus, Hex, Mag+2, Tomefaire, Slow Burn

\- Special Skill: Zephyr (Mag+4, Spd+4 when wind element tome is equipped)

Katsuki - Fighter

\- Secondary class: Priest (because his mother is the 'Burning General,' a Valkyrie)

\- Skills: Zeal, HP+5, Miracle, Axebreaker, Healtouch

\- Special Skill: Grenadier (when hit by fire element magic, next attack is guaranteed critical if Hauza is equipped)

Himiko - Dark Mage

\- Secondary Class: Thief

\- Skills: Anathema, Lifetaker, Hex, Lethality, Acrobat

\- Special Skill: Red Draw (After injuring opponent, seals that opponent's highest stat by 4 and increases Himiko's matching stat by 4)

Dabi - Dark Mage

\- Secondary Class: Myrmidon

\- Skills: Vantage, Vengeance, Tomebreaker, Anathema, Lethality

\- Special Skill: Blueflame (spoiler)


End file.
